Fairness of Life
by RebeccaMarie21
Summary: Maximum Ride lost Fang eight years ago in a do-or-die fight. What if a man with coal-black hair and olvie-toned skin appears in front of her car on Fang's 22 birthday? Will Max accept a second chance at love?
1. Dreams

**Heya peeps. This is Rebecca here to tell you that I don't own Max Ride *sobs quietly*. This is my second fan-fic so **_**don't**_** go easy on me! I take cruelty well! *hides ax behind back and smiles***

_"Fang!" I screamed, my voice now only a horse whisper._

_He turned to face me. His face was now covering in the crimson colored blood we'd tried to forget for so long. His hair, once soft and a beautiful black, had now been turned into a mess of mud and grit. _

_He smiled sadly at me. Almost knowingly, in fact, like he knew this was the end for him. _

_"I love you."_

I woke up panting heavily, a thick sheet of sweat covering my forehead. I hadn't had that dream in over eight years! Why was it coming back.

_Thump...Thump_

The sound of Iggy hurrying down the hall came as no surprise to me. For years he would wake up to the sound of my sobs and come running in, his arms wide open to hold me and soothe my breaking heart.

"Iggy, it's OK. Just a random dream about running on a track that never ended. Go back to bed," I called through my door.

Iggy had just arrived, his hand nestled safely on the doorknob, ready to yank it open at the drop of a pin. Apparently you didn't get any privacy if you went into strong thoughts of depression.

After a few moments of silent debating, Iggy stalked back off to bed. He knew that I would accept the sappy hugs if the moment truly called for it.

Sighing loudly, I hauled myself up from my warm bed. **5:00 a.m.** Well, it wasn't _that_ bad. I'd had better days, but now I knew the stupid truth.

_Life isn't always fair._

Ignoring all other thoughts of sadness and grief, I shuffled over to the bathroom (my room had one inside it; I didn't like sharing with two teenage girls) and turned on the shower.

Gently slipping from my pajamas (a cami and some boy-shorts) I turned and viewed my naked body in the full mirror attached to the back of the door.

I'd grown my hair out, so now it came down to my belly-button. I needed to get it cut though. Long hair sucked.

As I'd grown older, I'd lost some of my lankiness. Now I had _curves_ (as Nudge put it). All that meant for me was baggier shirts and longer pants.

_Big whoop._

A steady roll of steam was now fogging my view of myself. Groaning softly, I turned around and jumped into the stall, yipping softly at the sudden hotness of the water.

Extending my wings, I slowly went to the far corner of the tub and rested my head against the cool tile.

Today was October 14th, a day that I had been dreading for a long time.

_Happy Birthday Fang…I love you too._


	2. Peaceful Swim

My life had grown quiete boring after we'd all chipped in and bought the house.

Iggy had opened a bakery and Nudge was currently a talk show host on _who's that Star?_ so we had a steady flow of income.

I worked at the local library. I didn't really want to do anything else because the library was calm and quiet.

I also worked part-time for Iggy. I was part of the vocals (Angel called it the entertainment). Every Friday and Monday we would all go down to _Midnight Wings Café_ and sip on coffee while serving others.

The only reason a accepted the job was to spend more time with the kids. They were growing up so fast, somebody needed to take care of them.

Angel was currently a freshman in high school. She was the star swimmer on the team, and had straight A's. she now went by the name Abby.

_That's my girl!_

Gazzy went by the name Michael. _he_ was actually the one to pick it to, not me. He was now a junior, going to the same school as Angel and Nudge. His chosen sport was baseball, he was the star pitcher.

Nudge was a freshman in college. _Monique_ didn't really get attracted to activities like the rest of us. She was currently going to a fashion school, still living at home.

Iggy went to Culinary College to open the shop. All I did was make it through two years of high school.

All in all, we were still together. I expected Nudge to be the first to go, but I guess she realized how incomplete w were without the six of us, so she simply stayed on board the freak Train

_Toot toot._

After my heavenly shower, I grabbed my swimming suit, yanked it on without a look, and went outside.

Lately, I'd been doing laps in the morning. They helped me calm down and really see things better.

Slipping on my blue flip flops, I began to roll my hair up into a bun. Another bad thing about long hair: it sucks in the water. It sticks everywhere!

"Morning Max!"

I turned in the direction of the deep baritone.

Gazzy was sauntering over to me, a girl attached to his hip.

Oh yeah, Gazzy had been dating Emily for two years now. She knew about the wings, and thought they were a gift from heaven (I know, I'm planning on taking her to the doctor soon).

"Hey. You guys planning on going out somewhere?" I asked in a light tone.

Emily's smile widened. Uh-oh. That was never a good sign. That smile meant shopping.

"Yeah! Nudge, Angel, and I were planning on taking you with us! We're going down to the mall!"

_Go figure._

"Um… I can't. I was planning on going to _Home Depot_ to pick up some flowers."

Lame excuse I know. But I couldn't deal with all of the makeup and clothes for eight hours.

"OK, then why don't we stop off after the mall. That way, you can be with us!"

_Ugh…_

Emily was one of the sweetest girls I'd ever met. Her golden hair went down to her collarbone, showing off her slender body. Her emerald green eyes always had a happy sparkle to them.

Gazzy'd better not hurt her.

"Yeah…sure…why not?"

_Oh dear lord, kill me now!_

"Great! I'll see you later honey!"

With a sweet kiss on the lips, Emily had skipped from Gazzy's arms.

I snickered at his lonely expression. They'd taken steps (I can _hear_ that much) lately, and Gazzy always hated to see Emily gone.

He turned to me then. Gazzy had recently shot past me and was now a sixteen year-old boy that was taller than me. It always annoying that everyone is taller than you.

"Hey Maxi. What's up?" he said with a smirk.

"Well, first of all, don't cal me that for the _millionth_ time. Second, I'm going to do a few laps before I go to hell."

Chuckling to himself, Gazzy gave me a one-armed hug before walking off.

His hair had been buzzed short recently. He wasn't much of a fan of the curls.

I sighed. Everyone was growing up and leaving behind.

I'd already done most of the hard work. Now I just floated on the water's surface, letting thoughts consume me completely. _this_ was what I looked forward to everyday. To float and be free.

I didn't fly anymore. Iggy always let the kids out to fly everyday, but I couldn't go. It reminded me too much of _him_.

So swimming was my number-one source of exercise. Sometimes I ran track with angel, or I played ball with Gazzy.

Even Iggy sometimes went on a jog with me. He played basketball (go figure I know) with the kids all of the time, so his source for exercise was covered.

"Max! Good morning! Iggy's got breakfast together."

"M'kay Angel!" I called back.

Slowly making my way to the ladder, I thought about our little shopping spree. Maybe I could pick something up for Fang as well.

I know it sounds weird, but for the past three years, I have been buying Fang birthday presents. They all stood neatly wrapped in the back of my closet.

Once on the patio, I turned and smiled at my home. It was quite large. We had two sliding glass doors leading to the pool; one in the kitchen and one in the basement. Once in the basement, you wound up the steps to the kitchen. Then, the hallway lead to all of the rooms. Our living room was downstairs.

I wiggled my way through the kitchen door, ignoring the smells of breakfast assaulting my stomach, and practically sprinted to the bathroom.

The swimming suit the girls had picked out for me was a bikini.

I know it sounds shocking, but I'd actually _let _the girls buy my wardrobe.

It was only because they wouldn't leave me alone about it though.

As soon as I made it to the bathroom, I smiled. There, on the towel rack, was a change of clothes.

I stripped off the bikini (which was brown with tiny blue polka dots) and quickly ran my blue towel through my hair.

Then, I yanked on my clothes. My shirt was a soft pink, with a slight _v_ neckline and a brown belt going around the waist to hug it closer. My jeans were a light blue, tight but comfy.

My stomach grumbled loudly.

"MAX!!! Hurry Up! I'm Hungry!" came Nudge's desperate call.

We never ate alone anymore. We always had to be together to eat.

Emily always stayed with us because her parents had been killed in a fire ten years ago. Now, she lived with her aunt, who was too drunk all of the time to care.

So, she basically lived with us. She stayed in Gazzy's room (I trusted him) and only went home for a week's supply of clothes.

Sighing loudly, I looked in the mirror one last time. I didn't look too bad…tired is all.

I always looked tired though.

I opened the bathroom door and stepped down the hall, ready to face another day.

Another day filled with loneliness and hurt.


	3. A Vision

**I continue the story until I have at least five reviews. I **_**need**_** critique people!**

**Oh: I don't own Maximum ride**

**I only own Emily so far! LUVS YAS! ****J**

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We were happily eating our breakfast when Nudge brought it up.

I happened to be drinking a glass of juice at the time, and ended up spitting it all on Gazzy.

You see, lately Nudge could look into the future. It was one of her newer powers (aside from attracting metal).

Actually, we'd all acquainted new abilities over the years.

The most important was Iggy's sight. At first, he'd only seen specific colors. Then, one day at dinner, he'd knocked over the table suddenly, a huge grin on his pale face

My first thought was _oh great, now we have another lunatic in the house_.

But soon he was giddily looking at all of our faces and all around the house.

That was the first night I attempted to make homemade ice-cream. Let's just say that cleaning up the sticky mess on the floor wasn't so much fun.

Gazzy, on the other hand, turned out to be a natural pyro. To put it bluntly, he could light things on fire with his hands. Weird huh? Actually, he set Nudge's closet on fire one time…and _that_ was one _huge_ fiesta.

Angel hadn't gotten any more powers at all. I think she matured earlier, so she could breather underwater, talk to fish, and read/control minds.

I could move things with my mind. I know it sounds weird (heck, flying sounds weird) but it's true. Unfortunately though, the more weight an object has, the harder it gets.

Some things could actually kill me!

"Max, Fang's coming back," Nudge said simply, cuddling up to Iggy's side.

They were a "thing" now. I didn't really mind, since they were old enough to decide for themselves.

Shock coursed through my brain. I spat my orange juice out and looked at Nudge in pure shock.

"EW! Ma-ax!"

I didn't even care to apologize to Gazzy. Nudge had just said the "F" word.

After a long silence, I whispered hoarsely, "what?"

"I'm sorry if this sounds dumb, but I just saw Fang in a vision. He was-"

"Nudge…please…not at the table."

My voice wavered slightly at the end, but all-in-all sounded firm

_Good. Someone needs to control these kids._

"Well, I know…I know that it's hard to believe…but it's true. Max…If you could _just listen_ for a sec-"

"No! Stop talking about this."

This time my voice sounded small and scared. It felt as if a wad of cotton had begun to wiggle its way up my throat, and I desperately fought to keep it down.

_You can't cry in front of the kids._

"Ummm…" was Emily's awkward response.

She knew about Fang, but only that he was part of the flock. She'd seen his grave stone. She didn't have a clue as to why I was reacting this way.

I couldn't take the shocked stares anymore. Only Iggy and Angel were looking at me differently…knowingly.

I shoved my chair away from the table. I grabbed a towel for Gazzy, then practically ran out the door.

Once in my _Dodge Charger _I texted Iggy

_Gone 4 a drive. C u soon_

_-max_

Within moments, I got my reply

_Kk. Take ur time hon, c u at the house later._

_-iggs_

I swear, he was like the gay friend I never had.

So, I shoved my keys into the ignition, reved u my baby, and was peeling out of the driveway at speeds that should be illegal.

I know, again, it's a shocker that _Maximum Ride_ is driving, but it's not all that hard. My car was safer and sharper, making school emergencies and quick getaways easier.

Fortunately though, we hadn't had a real problem since Fang's death.

Not since the plan…the plan that changed everything

**Flashback:**

It all started one the eve of my birthday…

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**I know, I'm evil! But I will update as soon as I get some good reviews!**

**C u soon!**

**~Rebecca Marie**


	4. Agony

**Thank you so much for all of the reviews!**

**Now, here goes….**

………………………………**...................**

Fang and I were herding the kids to Mom's house, ready for my birthday party.

Fang had already given me my present. It was a heart-shaped locket with two wings on either side. I'd reminded myself to get a picture for it.

As soon as we entered the room, we were jumped by my mom and her camera.

I think those flashes made me half blind.

The kids ran off, leaving only me and Fang standing at the entrance, smiling softly at the youngest of the flock (Fang had only been smirking at Iggy, who was tackling Angel).

"Mistletoe!" giggled Nudge, pointed to a wad of green hanging above our heads.

"Hey isn't that just for Chris-?"

I never got to finish my sentence, because Fang had sealed his lips to my own, making it impossible to speak.

A bright flash of light erupted from the corner of my eye, followed by a few gagging sounds.

I ignored all of them and simply threw my arms around Fang's neck, holding him closer.

He smiled into the kiss and gently ended it, making my arms flop uselessly to my sides.

The festivities continued all day until I ran outside to throw some trash out.

"Maximum," a voice hissed, and I wheeled around.

It was a…a…_thing._ It was at least six feet tall, snarling in pure hatred. The thing's arms were green and each held a pistol. It was decked out in camouflage and tattoos. I'm serious; the thing looked like it raided a tattoo shop and slapped every single one onto itself.

I screamed loud, long, and clear. Soon my flock was standing by my side, snarling back at the thing.

Usually the bad guys talked. They told you about their plans to kill you, blah blah blah. This one didn't, he simply aimed, smiled, and fired.

The bullet exploded in my shoulder, sending me to the ground gasping.

My flock looked at me in shock, and was immediately at my side, worry in their small faces.

Everyone except Fang. He'd simply bulldozed the guy over, and was punching him in the face. Each punch echoed through my aching head.

_It was Fang's time alive, ticking away._

Another gunshot fired; Angel screamed.

Fang was laying in the dirt right in front of the guy, who'd also shot himself, resting in a pool of his own blood. The dirt was all over his beautiful, soft hair.

I remember shouting his name. My voice sounded like I'd gargled nails.

I remember him smiling and telling me he loved me until life left him completely.

I fainted then, either from blood loss of grief, I'm not sure.

………………………………...............................................................

I drove fast and recklessly. I didn't really see where I was going, only that I was on a trail of some sort.

With my mind, I moved away harmful branches that could damage my baby. It hurt, but the pain hammering away at my chest replaced it all.

Tears came down my face at reckless speeds (just like my driving). After making it halfway through the forest, I shut the car off and simply rested my head against the steering wheel. Sobs came out of my throat in thick gasps.

We had lived in St. Louis, Missouri, for six years now. The first two had been spent with my mom, who now lived a couple of blocks away from the café.

I don't know how long I sat there, sobbing freely. I'd done this so many times in the past eight years, it seemed almost natural.

Then, a memory popped into my head.

_Oh my God. It hit me like a tsunami then: how perfect he was for me, how no one else would ever, could ever be so perfect for me._

I screamed then, the madness, the loneliness taking over my senses. I began to punch the steering wheel as hard as I could, not caring about the dull ache it made every time.

I threw my head back and screamed again, "NOOO!!!!"

I was left panting heavily, the memory still haunting my thoughts.

_Right there, in front of everyone, I threw my arms around his neck and smashed my mouth against his. He was startled for a second, then his strong arms wrapped around me so tightly I could hardly breathe._

I could feel his lips on mine, tingling the hell out of them. I felt those very arms, warm on my waist.

"_What are you doing?"_

I turned to see Fang, still fourteen years-old, sitting in the passenger seat.

"I love you." it was the only thing I could say at the moment.

_Great. I even stutter like a freak in a _hallucination_ of Fang. _

"_Get up." _he commanded, his voice echoing in my brain.

"I can't. Not anymore. I need you."

"_No you don't. Now get up, start this car, and get back to your family. They need you Max."_

"Please." my voice came out as a desperate whisper.

I couldn't do this without him. He was my life, my heart, my soul. He took it with him when he died.

A sob escaped my throat, and before I knew it, I was crying again.

"_Maximum! Listen to me, you _will_ live without me. You were born for that. You promised me you would take care of things if I left. What happened to that promise? Hmm?"_

He was right. A few days before the death, we promised each other that we would take the other's place if something were to happen. He'd done it quite reluctantly, but agreed none-the-less.

Sniffling, I revved up the car and headed back home.

Ghost-Fang was gone. He'd made his point, I was headed home to take care of _our_ family.

I almost made it too, until a man with dark black hair jumped in front of my car, crashing into the hood before I stomped on the brakes.

**I'm still evil… I know! But I'm running out of time here…luvs yas!**


	5. Escape

**Lol. Thanks so much you guys! Loved all of the reviews… I was planning on updating tomorrow, but all of the reviews made me wanna write some more.**

**See ya!**

.

Fang POV

(8 years earlier)

Max had just gone outside to take the trash out. I just sat there, allowing my stomach to digest the large amounts of food I'd just consumed.

That kiss had been on a whim. I don't really know why I did it, but it felt good anyway.

Kissing Max always felt good. It was like flying _really_ fast. Sort of a head rush, but you're loving every minute of it.

That's why I gave her the locket. I loved her. I don't know when I realized it, but I knew without a doubt. I was going to tell her tonight anyway.

I loved the way the sun glinted off of her brown hair, making it a sweet blond. I loved the way she smiled, making my insides go all fuzzy.

She was the reason I let go. Without her, I left my mask up. I didn't need to show emotion around anyone else.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself up from my chair slowly. I must have looked like an old man, but fast movement would probably make me puke.

Waddling my way over to the bathroom, I avoided all contact with my family. _Especially_ Iggy. If he were to see me like this, he would totally make fun of me.

No one saw me. I'd been in the kitchen, resting after helping Max clean up, and everyone else was in the living room.

_Good, no making fun of Fang tonight._

I was now in the bathroom. The door was shut, the fluorescent lights giving my skin an eerie glow. I looked in the mirror, noting my tired-looking face.

"_Fang."_

It came out as a deep, feral hiss. Diverting my attention away from the mirror, I looked at the bathtub where the sound had come from.

There was…me. I was wearing the same clothes…everything. It was like looking in a mirror, except the mirror was to my right. This was a mirror that actually _moved._

I simply stood there in shock, my mouth hanging open.

_So _this_ is how Max felt._

"You know, you're going to attract flies," Fang 2 said offhandedly.

That was the difference between him and I. _He_ was smiling like some lunatic.

Then he came at me. He moved with a superhuman speed and strength, already having a needle plunged into my neck in seconds.

_Oh God…no!_

I could feel the energy draining from me as the darkness took hold. I gripped for the sink, only to grab the hand of my double. Then, Fang 2 lifted from the ground (with one arm) and cheerfully added, "You're going away for a while _Fangy boy_! Hope you have fun!"

Then, the darkness took over.

.

(Present time)

That's the last of my memories before waking up in the cell. They threw me into a shit-hole and tortured me for years. Oh yeah, that was what I call _fun!_

They said they were trying to make me stronger, faster, but in the end the only thing they got out of it was their army. They took my DNA and replicated it.

Their army was filled with winged hybrids. They were quicker, faster, and stronger than two erasers put together. The only way they could be taken down was a single shot (or stab) to the head or chest.

The rest of their bodies were covered with steel-hard bone. They were like bugs; their shells were on the outside.

I escaped, but just barely. They got one shot in my left wing and clipped me in the ribs.

But I was out. It was the first time I'd seen anything green (besides spit) in eight years.

_Max._

Her name whispered in the realms of my mind. She thought I was dead. I'd seen what they'd done, using an older version of the Seraglio as a decoy. A Seraglio was the army.

Fang 2 had been killed, but in Max's mind, that was me.

Anger pulsed through me in hot, thick waves. I could feel the electricity burning at me finger tips in light blue strings.

_Keep it together Fang._

Last year, I'd developed a new skill. Mainly, I could fry any Seraglio on the spot. Yeah, I was a light socket now, I know. Ha ha.

The only reason I had escaped was for Max's safety. They were planning on kidnapping her and making her an experiment..

They wanted to use her as a breeder.

This time I couldn't hold back, I struck the nearest thing to me, which was a tree, immediately sending it into flames. My breaths were coming out in deep hisses as I pushed on, not caring about the pain anymore.

I knew where they lived. All I had to do was use a phonebook, and she was listed under _Madison Martinez._

_C'mon Max! You're safer than _that!

I was on the outskirts of their property by now. I'd been walking and flying for days, not even stopping to rest. I knew that I would soon though, since I was getting dizzier by the minute.

The sound of a car sent my ears buzzing.

I didn't think, I acted. That's one thing I'd learned in the academy.

_Don't think, just do._

The academy was located in Nebraska. In exactly one week, the Seraglio would be on this place like ugly on an ape.

I just acted. I ran in front of the car, hoping it was one of my family.

The person in the car wasn't really paying full attention. They hit me head-on before the brakes played some part in this collision.

I simply rolled off the hood of the car and onto the hard, unforgiving gravel. My thoughts, again, swam. I think I'd cracked a few ribs from the impact, nothing too major.

_So why can't I get up?!?!_

The person was out of the car and running towards me. She had on a pair of black _Pumas_ and tight jeans, showing off her muscular legs.

I couldn't look at her face yet. All I could do was look at the tire and fight for air.

I could now feel my head being turned. I looked up at the face of my savior and smiled.

"Are you okay?" Max whispered, already picking up my limp form.

My breathing was becoming more labored. The pain in my side was too much now.

Before I let darkness take over me, I whispered back, "Now I am."


	6. Discovery

**Hey my peeps. What's up?!?!?!? Since I'm **_**really**_** bored, I decided to update a **_**third **_**time today *faints*. **

**You know what's weird? I don't really know how Max will take this whole thing! Will she be freaked of happy?**

**I need your opinions people! **

**Oh…I don't…own…MR *goes into corner and cries loudly***

**Michael Jackson is dead *stares into space*…just wanted to say**

**Song of the Day: Sound of Madness by Shinedown (yeah baby!!!!)**

My heart rate accelerated with the car. I'd just freaking _hit a guy! _You moron!

_Hey guys…I'm gonna go for a drive. Maybe I'll hit a guy while I'm at it. Today's been pretty boring._

Only a few moments away from the house, I turned to look at the guy lying in the back seat of my car. He looked bloody, battered, and sick. Basically like I used to after a long day.

Sighing, I turned back around and added pressure to the gas pedal. I was now pushing 100 mph.

_Calm down Max. You didn't kill him, but you might if you don't slow._

_Angel? Where are you guys?_

_Hey Max! Whoa…what's up with you? You sound crazed!_

_Never mind that! Where. Are. You?_

_Iggy and Gazzy are working…Nudge, Em, and I are at the mall._

_Ok honey, love you._

I blocked her from my mind…just in case. Let's just say that a fourteen year-old can get quite nosy at times. I could even feel her gently prodding through my mind as I drove.

The man behind me stirred and groaned. I jumped, the very noise sending me on the edge. Oh God….paranoia was coming back at me in full force.

I finally made it to the house. I parked crookedly, not really caring at the moment. I would fix it soon, right now I had to take care of this guy.

I jumped from my car, only to be stopped by my seatbelt. It tugged at my throat, making my oxygen leave me with a _whoosh._

_Idiot!_

After successfully releasing myself from the confines of my car, I stumbled to the back seat, and was soon dragging the man to my house.

He was big, thick with muscles. Also, he was a few inches taller than I was, increasing the whole weight thing. So, as I grunted and strained to keep myself upright, I was cursing God for gravity.

I struggled to make my curses PG-13 for Angel's sake, but it was hard. This dude was freaking _heavy!_

Eventually, I made it to the front patio. Exhausted, I could only drop the unconscious guy on the concrete floor below my feet.

_Hope he doesn't feel that._

After unlocking the door and allowing it to open, I bent down to get the man.

His eyes snapped open as my face was inches from his. At first, they were blank, none motional, but soon a passion filled them whole.

"Max,"

The voice, a single whisper, sent me backpedaling in shock. I tripped over a flower pot (courtesy of Angel) and landed on the patio with a dull _thud._

_Ouch._

Only one voice could send shivers down my spine like that. Only one voice could sound like that. Only that voice could be that quiet yet commanding.

_Fang._

Quickly, but quietly, I crawled my way back over to him. He'd fainted again, maybe because of the pain he was in. Earlier, I'd noticed the dried blood on his back and on his left side.

Breathing deeply still, I reached down and poked him on the forehead. My hands were shaking badly, so it was more like _poke…po…pok…poke._

He didn't move.

Moving faster now, I picked him up and hauled him into the house. Looking around quickly, I saw my savior.

Taking a deep breath, I tugged him over to the couch and flopped him down onto it, not caring about the odd way one arm was bent. I had to see for myself.

Carefully, I unbuttoned his shirt. It was green, rolled up at the sleeves. You could hardly tell though. Dirt and blood covered most of the once clean fabric, marring it forever.

His jeans were in a similar state.

After successfully getting the shirt holes off of his large arms I slowly, and carefully, rolled him over.

I let out a sob. It _was_ him. The feathers, once smooth and silky to the touch, were now uneven and grungy. But they were still black. So was his hair. His skin still had an olive tone to it. He was _my_ Fang.

I couldn't think. I simply leaned down and lay on top of his dirty form. I didn't care if I was smothering his face into the pillows at the moment. He was home.

I took a big whiff of his hair. Even though there was a strange funk to it, he still smelled the same.

Tears escaped from my eyes and down onto his feathers, leaving marks as they slid off.

_Oh God. Thank you. Thank you!_

Then a few pistons decided to fire in my brain.

I quickly slid off of his warm body and ran towards the first aid kit.

.

One hour later, Fang was cleaned and patched up completely.

Yes, I'd actually given him a bath. Thank God he'd stayed unconscious.

Now, as he lay in my bed, I just stared at his face. He was now in one of Iggy's shirts and a pair of his sweatpants. I'd picked the lock and cringed when I saw a Nudge's tank-top hanging on his lamp.

I'd also cut Fang's hair. It had grown past his shoulder blades and was impossible to get all of the tangles out. Also, the length made his face look too gaunt (that was Nudge speaking from some teeny part in my brain).

So, I'd grabbed the kitchen scissors and started snipping. Don't worry, I didn't chop it _all_ off. Most of the hair went down to his ear, and a large chunk hung down in front of his eye.

Once done cleaning him up, I'd washed my hands (they were covered in blood) and brushed my teeth (for no reason).

Now, as I lay on top of him, gazing down in wonder, I smiled. God had given me a second chance.

I sighed in pure bliss. He was warming up now, a gentle heat radiating from him through his clothes. It seemed to warm my soul. It woke my heart up. And for once…

_I was free._

In the last eight years, I'd never felt so light. I was weightless, every chain holding me down discarded.

_Fang makes you feel this way Max._

Angel had found out as soon as I'd seen Fang's feathers. Now the whole family knew (thanks to Angel's big mouth) and they were taking their sweet time to get home (they wanted to give Fang some space according to me). Nudge gave me one of those I-told-you-so speeches over the phone. They'd all called me, each one taking their turns to beam at me through the phone.

I'd simply glared and told her to shut it. She listened, but added a giggle before handing the phone to Iggy.

The only one not in on the plan yet was Emily. I wanted to tell her in person. She wouldn't understand properly without my help.

Fang stirred beneath me. His eyelids flickered; he tensed.

"Fang?" I whispered gently.

His eyes opened and he stared up at me in shock.

Those eyes. I'd forgotten how beautiful they really were. Nearly black with the strange gold tints.

Hell, I'd forgotten most of the things I loved about him over the years.

"Max?" he asked, his voice laced with uncertainty and doubt.

"Yeah?"

Why were we whispering?

"Is it really you?"

His eyes seemed to brighten little at the thought. His arms hand come up and circled around my waist, his warm hands rubbing circles in the exposed flesh of the small of my back.

I couldn't simply_ tell_ him. That wouldn't be very convincing.

_Yeah I'm max. Ignore the fake contacts and the wig. They came with my outfit!_

Slowly, as not to startle him, I lifted one of my hands from either side of his face.

I reached inside my shirt and tugged the necklace off of my neck.

Keeping it concealed in my fist, I leaned back a bit and put the hand as a barrier between us.

Fang held his breath as I slowly opened my fist, revealing a locket. The locket was a simple silver heart, with two small wings on either side of it.

Smiling hugely (bigger than I'd ever seen him) he gently grabbed the necklace from my hand.

Opening it, he revealed the picture inside of it.

It was a picture of two young children kissing. One was blushing a deep scarlet, her brown hair blocking some of her face as she wrapped her arms around her lover. The boy had longish black hair, hanging over on eye. He seemed happy as he kissed her back, his arms wrapped around her and out of the picture.

He looked from the picture to me. The glint was still in his eyes, though his smiled had receded some.

I bit my lip in nervousness. I'd always imagined this moment, but was practically clawing at the walls in anticipation for his answer.

Tenderly, he put the necklace back on my neck, brushing against my face and ears as he went, making me shiver in delight.

Again slowly, he sat up, making me straddle his lap. Removing his other hand from my back, he brought both of them hold me face.

"Maximum Ride. You have no idea what you do to me," he murmured, before leaning down to kiss me.

I practically tackled him. I smashed my mouth against his and pushed my body against his as hard as I could.

The passion and heat radiating us could have powered China, I swear.

Too soon, Fang pulled away, breathing heavier than normal.

Panting slightly, I smiled hugely.

"So…you ready to see your family?"


	7. Caught

Fang smiled again. I noticed that this time, it was a more hesitant one.

"Don't worry. They're going to be all over you, lavishing you and suffocating the life out of you with hugs and kisses!" I joked with a few giggles at the end.

He raised one eyebrow. Oh God, I had missed that too. The way it arched sent my heart fluttering.

Quickly, I leaned forward and kissed him again.

He responded quickly, wrapping his strong arms around my waist and pulling me closer (if that was possible) to his hard body. I melted into his grasp.

I'd angled my head to the left so I could get better contact with his warm lips. My breathing was becoming more staggered, but I didn't care.

_Not until I pass out from lack of oxygen will I care._

Then, his tongue tentatively brushed against my bottom lip. It was warm; a wet, soft substance that left tingles in my stomach.

Surprised, I gasped into his mouth, knotting my hands into his thick hair. Eagerly, he thrust his tongue into my mouth, running it through the contours of it.

We fought for dominance for a few moments, a battle with our tongues, when air became a necessity. I pulled away, hardly able to control my deep pants, which were bursting on Fang's ear.

He didn't stop though; he simply leaned forward more and began kissing his way down my neck.

I was now lying in the middle of my king-sized bed. Fang was hovering over me, his hands in a death-grip on my waist. How I got here, I did not know. But at that moment, I could care less.

I looked over his body. I could almost make out his back muscles, flexing underneath his shirt.

_Big emphasis on _almost!

I wanted to see the soft skin. I wanted to touch it, lick it, and bite it all day long.

Carefully, I slid my hands from Fang's gorgeous hair and down his torso. Gently, I used my nails to scrape at the skin beneath the t-shirt, making Fang hiss.

Once I'd reached the hem of the shirt, I pulled the fabric over his head. His lips only broke from my neck for a moment, before they were attacking it once more, his teeth grazing the soft skin every once and a while.

While looking up at the ceiling in a daze, I traced the contours of Fang's back, loving every dip and curve.

In a desperate attempt, I yanked on Fang's hair, forcing his lips to my own. In his surprise, he forgot to hold himself up for a moment, and his full weight came crashing down upon me.

I moaned into his mouth. As soon as I did it, I blushed a deep shade of red and pulled away from his delicious mouth.

He smirked in response, then gently began moving his hands up from my waist, slipping them underneath my shirt, massaging the soft skin there.

I bit my lip in a weak attempt to hold my purrs of satisfaction.

Slowly, he leaned down and pressed his lips back to mine, his warm hands still massaging my stomach.

Then, he came to the end of my shirt and rolled the fabric around in his fingers, silently asking permission.

I quickly leaned forward some, allowing him to strip the shirt from my body. He was now gazing at my plain black bra, which hid the mound of flesh beneath.

Again, I blushed and bit my lip, looking into his smoldering eyes.

I thought I heard him murmur, "So beautiful," before delving his face down and trailing wet kisses across my torso.

Another moan escaped my mouth. This time, it came out as a low growl, gurgling in my throat.

As he assaulted my stomach, I didn't hear the front door open. I didn't pay attention to the sounds of stomping feet.

The only thing that really caught my attention was iggy's voice.

"Hey Max! We jus- WHOA!"

I opened my eyes, and to my complete horror, there stood my entire family, their eyes wide.

I almost screamed. Quickly rolling over, I wiggled my way out of Fang's grasp, grabbed a random shirt off the floor, and threw it on. It happened to be Iggy's, which had been loaned to Fang.

"Uh…Ummm…"

That was pretty much the only thing that could come out of my mouth. The blood rushing to my face seemed to pulse, the sound fresh to my ears.

_Ohmygodohmygodohmygod………_

Fang slowly sat up and smiled warmly at everyone else, who resembled a bunch of fish at the moment.

"You're going to attract flies you know."

Ahh, the ever witty Fang to the rescue.

They all turned to him, as if he had just appeared in the room. They made no moves though, they simply stood, their eyes suddenly wary.

Angel was the first to move. Tentatively, she approached Fang, her hand slightly outstretched. A single finger touched his forehead, her face a mask of concentration.

He simply stared into her eyes, his face impassive.

Within moments, she collapsed into his lap, tears streaming down her face as she clung to him like static. Her sobs shook the bed as she hid her face in his neck. She'd obviously read his mind, and knew that this was truly _Fang_.

The rest soon came over, each of them with tears in their eyes.

All except Emily of course. She still looked to be in shock.

I gave her a look and told her I'd explain later. She turned to me and nodded, a smile now bracing her face.

I turned to address everyone, "OK. Know we have a lot of catching up to do, but there's a dinner that needs to be made people!"

Everyone quietly shuffled out, each one having a look of disappointment.

Just before Iggy left, he turned to me and winced, "Next time you want to 'catch up' with Fang, let me know. I don't want anymore nightmares than need be."

I swatted his arm, all the while my face resembling the color of a fire truck.

Once they were gone, I turned back to Fang and smiled, "Well, that went well."

"Which part? The being caught practically having sex? Or the tearful reunion?"

I smiled and sat in his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck, "the second."

He returned my smile with a smirk and yawned loudly, his sweet breath fanning my face.

"OK big guy. You have two hours to take a nap before dinner is done, so get snoring!" I exclaimed, already tucking him in.

"OK." he grumbled, shimmying down underneath the covers, his head cushioned by three pillows.

Once at the doorway to the room, I turned back to Fang, "I love you."

He smiled, "And I you."


	8. Pure Happiness

**Hey peeps. Just wanted to ask you guys for some more reviews. They make me feel giggly and I write more often. Three reviews over one week can tear down a girl you know!**

Fang P.O.V.

As soon as Max pulled out that locket, I felt like giggling like some freaking school girl.

Of course I wouldn't _ever_ do that, but on the inside I was.

I couldn't help but smile like some big loon though. My grin stretched over my face and my jaw screamed in protest, but I didn't care.

_Max still loved me!_

Then, I'd been kissing her. Actually, she'd practically tackled me as I'd leaned down, but I wasn't complaining. Just the feel of her warm skin underneath my hands sent my stomach on fire.

I'd pulled away, the ache in my neck making the kissing uncomfortable, when she'd hit me with the question.

_You ready to see the kids?_

She knew I was nervous, but I had a right to be. What if they didn't like me? What if they hated what I'd become?

But Max still loved me, and that was it for me.

As if to confirm my declaration, Max had leaned down and kissed me yet again. This time, she'd angled her head for better contact, and I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head.

_Screw the stupid neck pain!_

Without thinking, I brushed my tongue against her lip. I don't know what I was thinking, and as soon as I did it I regretted taking this too far.

I would have pulled away, if it hadn't been for Max. She gasped loudly and tugged even harder on my hair.

_Oh God!_

My arms tightened around her small waist as my tongue entered her warm mouth, sending all hesitation from my mind. I continued to breathe in her delicious scent, which smelled of coconut and lime.

Then, she had slid her hands from my hair and ran them down my chest, leaving white-hot trails where they had just been.

I couldn't help but hiss loudly as she did so. I had just noticed that we were lying in the middle of her bed, and things were heating up _real _fast.

Her hands started to pull up my shirt, and I almost fainted as I lifted it off my head and threw it to the ground beside me.

I watched Max's glorious face as she traced the muscles of my back, making my breathing become more and more staggered.

Without warning, she yanked on my hair and caused me to fall on top of her.

At first, I was worried that I'd crushed her, but then that beautiful moan had erupted from her throat, driving me crazy.

I pulled away to see her blushing badly and I couldn't help but smirk.

Again, on the inside, I was squealing like a little girl.

I continued to massage her stomach as I reached down and began to kiss her again, lost in her flavor.

_This is what I've been waiting for for eight years!_

I was now fingering the bottom of her shirt, wanting to take it off so desperately. The cotton seemed to snicker at me as I rolled it between my fingers.

Max surprised me then by arching her back, allowing me to peel the awful material of her shirt from her soft body.

I almost immediately ripped it off, desperate to limit the amount of clothing between us. I immediately laid my eyes upon the flesh that was newly exposed before me, captivated by Max's beauty.

"So beautiful," I mumbled without thinking.

I delved to her stomach and started trailing wet, hot kisses there. Another moan escaped Max's mouth, and I nearly groaned as well.

Then, she slightly lifted her hip, so that it bumped into mine as well.

My breath came out as another hiss as I dropped my head onto her firm stomach. I know she didn't mean to do it, but it still sent tingles throughout my entire body.

I heard the door open, and a deep base filled my ears, "Hey Max. We jus-WHOA!"

I turned to stare at a man with short, strawberry blond hair and bright blue eyes. His mouth was open in complete shock as he stared at the scene in front of him.

_Iggy._

He could see? When did that happen? How much had I really missed?

I felt Max wiggle out of my embrace and I began to pout. Iggy was always the one to ruin one of these moments.

"Uh…Ummm…"

Max's soft, smooth voice filled my mind and I quirked my mouth into a small smile. She always knew how to freak out.

I looked up and smiled at my family for the first time. "You're gonna attract flies you know," I said, motioning to their open mouths.

They simply stared at me as if I was a stranger. I knew they recognized me, but they were still too shocked to move.

Nudge was silent for once. Her hair, a long caramel, gently rippled in a small breeze as her large brown eyes searched my own. She was wearing tight tank-top and skinny jeans, with black boots coming up to her knees. Her face was covered in a light mask of make-up and I felt a tug at my heart realizing how pretty she was now.

Angel stepped forward. She too, was a beauty. His hair came down to her waist in soft, blond curls and her olive toned skin contrasted with it beautifully. Her large blue eyes were framed by a thin line of blue eyeliner and mascara, her glossy lips forming a delicate "o".

She was fourteen now, and had grown up without me,

Another pain erupted in my chest and I knotted my eyebrows.

A single manicured finger touched my forehead before she erupted into deep sobs and fell into my lap. Her skinny arms wrapped around my neck and she buried her delicate face into my shoulder.

Soon I was surrounded by the ones I loved, all of them smiling with tears in their eyes.

Even sixteen year-old Gazzy was crying. His hair had been buzzed short, but it was a good look for him; made him look older. His blue eyes sparkled and his strong arms encased the both of us.

I noticed a young girl standing in the hall, her eyes still wide. Her hair was a dirty-blond and her green eyes suddenly reminded me of emeralds.

I turned in time to see Max give her a look. OK, so this girl could be trusted?

Then Max turned to our huge gooey-fest. She was soon herding everyone out of the room, her bossy side shining from her in a bright radiance.

I heard Iggy murmur something quietly to Max, making her blush brightly before swatting him away and turning to me.

"Well, that went well" I added with a smile.

Max scoffed, sauntering over to me, "which part? The being caught practically having sex? Of the tearful reunion?"

_The first._ "The second," I said as she slipped into my lap, a smile gracing her plump lips.

Then she tucked me quickly, practically begging me to get some sleep.

And just before she left, she turned and said the three words that I was desperate to hear for the rest of my life

"I love you."

"and I you," I responded quickly with a half-smile.

I fell asleep smiling that night.


	9. Change of Pace

**Hey again, I have news! Did you know that Kristin Stewart might be playing **_**the**_** Maximum Ride??? *pukes*. She's not nearly experienced enough!!! WAAA!!!!!**

MAX POV

Trying to pass some time before dinner was done; I went ahead and took Akila for a walk.

Iggy never let me in the kitchen. It was like some unspoken rule that everyone in the house had to follow.

_1.) Keep Max and her filthy hands away from my kitchen. 2.) Make sure to make Max's life as difficult as possible. _

So, I quickly left the bustling kitchen and skittered to my room. I sat there and watched Fang for a moment, who was snoring softly while lying on his back.

He looked so…cute. I know he would kill me if I said that aloud, but the way he pursed his lips in his sleep was so friggin adorable.

I turned away from the sight before me and entered my closet.

As I said before, nudge had a thing for fashion. My entire closet had been designed by her, which was some of the top-line clothes. I had enough to make a movie star jealous, which was _a lot! _

Nudges problem was that I never wore any of those clothes. My dresser was right next to my gigantic closet, and it contained the only clothes I ever wore anymore. Sweats, sweatshirts, loose jeans, t-shirts with holes in them, and socks were the things that touched my body each day.

Now, with Fang here, I was debating actually pulling some of the tags off of those clothes. Maybe I could wear some of those things when we were alone, like Nudge did with Iggy when we weren't home. Or when Angel went out on a date.

The only problem: I've never entered my closet anymore. The only shoes I wore were sneakers, and they remained outside the closet at all times.

So, as I entered the closet, I found myself completely lost.

I turned on the light and gasped loudly. All of the colors of the friggin rainbow were in here! Heels and fancy sandals hung above my head in a fancy rack that lowered down with the flick of a switch. Dresses and skirts were strung up on my left; more casual clothes on my right.

Turning to the right, I scanned the clothing again. They were each color coded, and divided by type. The sweaters and jackets started the line, followed by shirts and shorts. Jeans brought up the rear, and next to that was a drawer.

Curiosity got the better of me. I crept over to the cherry wood dresser and pulled open its only drawer.

_Oh MY Goddd!!!!_

I bit back a shriek of disgust as I held up a little red thong. A _thong!_ A freaking, honest to God _thong!_

Inside that drawer was a _lot _of lingerie. I had corsets, and lace to last me a life time. I even had some type of oil! _what the hell is that for?_

I quickly dropped backing the thong and snapped the drawer shut; sure I was going to hyperventilate any second now.

Backing slowly away from the lingerie, I turned to the sweaters section and began rummaging around.

In the end, my outfit was complete. Although it took me thirty minutes to pick out, I knew Nudge would appreciate it.

I threw the orange sweater over my head, sighing into the mirror attached to the closet door.

Yes, I was still stuffed in the stupid closet, but I wasn't gonna change in front of Fang. What if he woke up? I shuddered at the thought.

I flicked my long hair from the inside of the sweater and turned to look. It came down to my pelvic bones, showing a _small_ amount of skin there. The ends of the sweater rested on my shoulders, revealing the black tank-top underneath. It was orange, with a furry hood that rested flat against my back.

My jeans were much simpler. They were a darker material, making my skin look even _paler_. They were very tight, and I had to jump up and down just to get them on.

I knew Nudge would strangle me if I didn't wear heels with this stupid outfit. So, I simply grabbed a pair of black flats, and slipped on a pair of no-show socks.

Once done, I looked at the mirror once more. I didn't look like the Red-Haired-Wonder, but it was close. My hair framed my face well (after I ran a brush through it of course) and I couldn't help but smile softly.

I might be good enough for Fang now.

After checking on Fang and the others, I set up the path away from our house, into the dense forest. It was chilly today, and by the time Akila and I had circled half way around the trail, I was shivering my butt off.

_Stupid cold St. Louis weather._

Trying to distract myself, I simply enjoyed the scenery around me. It was mid-Autumn, so the trees had mostly shed their leaves. Each step we took earned us a loud _crunch! _And I couldn't help but wince at the feel of e headache beginning to bloom.

_Who cares? Fang's here to save me._

An hour later, I was back in the kitchen, my stomach gurgling loudly at the smells of dinner rippled through it in agony.

"Max, you're gonna start drooling,' Emily stated in a matter-of-fact voice.

_Oh gee, I wonder why?_

"Well, that fabulous cooking just might make me tackle somebody and start gnawing their arms off," I stated in a light voice.

Emily simply laughed, but Gazzy backed away slowly, his hand protectively wrapped around his arm.

Nudge chose that time to make her grand entrance. She'd just been at the studio, recording tomorrow's show, and was till wearing her designer dress and heels as she clicked her way over to Iggy and kissed him on the cheek quickly.

"So Nudge, how was the show?" Angel asked from my left.

Nudge turned her eyes bright and mouth open, but immediately stopped at the sight of me.

_Curse you Angel._

She snickered quietly as Nudge clicked her way over to me, her mouth still open.

"You…an…clothes!" was all she could manage before she hugged me as hard as she could.

Then the squealing started. It erupted from three points (Angel, Emily, and Nudge) and I winced, the little men in my head beginning to bang harder.

Before I knew it, I was being tugged to Nudge's room by three very aggressive girls.

I turned to Iggy, a look of pure terror slapped across my face.

_Help ME!!!!_

He only snickered, returning to chopping up his damn onion.

Angel was running a curling iron through my hair. Emily was drying the other half, which was still damp from my shower. Nudge was Appling a thick sheet of make-up across my face.

The entire time, I was pouting, my arms wrapped across my chest. Apparently, we were going out to dinner now, all thoughts of family time abandoned.

Fang was already up, his deep voice drifting to my ears in a musical embrace. I wanted to get to him so badly, just to be in his arms.

"Max! Stop it! Were almost done anyway!" Nudge braked.

When she went into fashion-mode, she got bossy. It was really mean actually.

"Ok, all done! Now go put your dress on!" Angel said, the giggling hardly contained in her voice.

Ugh. A dress. Apparently, we would be going to a club tonight.

"That's right Max. I'm going to stay with Ella and Ms. Martinez, so you don't have to worry about bad things happening to your kids."

"WHAT? What about Gazzy, Emily, and Nudge?" I practically roared.

They all winced, but continued leading me to my bedroom.

"Gazzy and I won't be drinking, but you know Nudge can," Emily stated in a small voice.

_Oh God, they've all grown up on me._

I sighed loudly, defeat seething from my mind.

The girls started up their giggly act again, practically shoving me into my room. They immediately snapped the door shut, their giggles escalading highly.

I turned and looked at the dress. Immediately, I turned and began to frantically claw at the door. "NO!!!"

The shout ripped to me and the giggles turned into full blown laughter. They were all leaning against the stupid door so I couldn't get out, and the only escape was out the window, but they probably set the alarm system. The alarm would immediately snap the window shut, sealing me inside.

_No one said I didn't have to take precautions!_

"Please?" I whined, imagining myself in that stupid dress.

"No!" they all giggled back.

Oh God, my reputation was going out the window.


	10. Getting Ready

**I'm, soooooo sorry I haven't been able to update in a long time! Who knew someone like me actually could develop a social life?**

**Song of the Day: Breaking Inside- Shinedown**

Fang P.O.V.

I stepped into the hall to see Nudge, Angel, and the blond girl shoving Max into her room, giggling like lunatics.

"NO!!!"

Max's desperate cry sent me on high alert and I practically ran back to the door. All of the girls giggled louder when they saw my panicked expression.

"Max has to wear a dress. We're going clubbing. Your clothes are in Iggy's room," Nudge whispered, her voice hardly hushed by the loud giggles exploding from her throat.

I smirked and quickly shook my head.

_Same old Max._

I turned on my heel and walked back down the wooden hallway to the kitchen. I tried not to stare at the pictures covering the white halls, but eventually I gave in and stopped to peer closely.

The first one was old. It must have been taken right after I disappeared, because the flock looked as they used to: _like kids. _Iggy had his arm slung over Max's shoulder in a brotherly way while he held onto the other three small ones, grinning like a maniac. Angel had smooched her face against Gazzy's as she bared her teeth, showing of the hole in the front where she'd lost a tooth. Gazzy had both his arms around the girls' waists and smirked happily at Iggy. Nudge was in mid-laugh as she tugged on Iggy's arm and Gazzy's shirt.

Max made my smile vanish. Sure, she was smiling. It was small; only one side of her mouth quirked. But her eyes made my blood run cold. They looked dead. They stared vacantly back at the camera as she crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out a hip.

Shuddering, I moved to the next picture. This one was of Gazzy and his girlfriend. They both had their arms around each other in a tight embrace and stared into each other's eyes. They sat on a park bench, snow falling around them.

The next one made me do a double take. It was of Nudge and Iggy. They sat in a bar, both of their arms wrapped around each other. And they were _kissing. _Mother flipping _KISSING! _

_How much have you really missed Fang?_

The last one was of Max. She stood by a grave stone, tears in her eyes. She wore a simple black dress, accentuating her beauty still. She gazed down at the grave with a pained glance.

_Nicholas Ride _it said.

On the frame, an inscription was carefully engraved.

_We may loose those we love in battle, but they shall always remain in our hearts. _

I shifted uncomfortably and jogged into the kitchen, ready to forget what that had just said.

Iggy heard me come in and smiled at me. Without a single word, he flopped a plate of spaghetti in front of me.

Within minutes the plate was licked clean and my stomach was close to bursting. I shot Iggy a thankful glance and made my way down the hall again, only this time I kept my eyes on the ground.

I took a deep breath when I saw my clothing. Nudge hadn't changed much at _all. _My shirt was very simple, a black, button-down dress shirt. I quickly threw it on, rolled it up to the elbows, and left the first two buttons undone.

My jeans were dark. They fit snugly to my body, but not all _that _much to where I was gasping for air.

My shoes were simple black Converse. All in all, I looked casual and cool at the same time.

_Good work Nudge._

I quickly reemerged from Iggy's room to spot the blond girl hopping up and down while zipping up one of her boots. Her hair was done in a messy wave of curls, accentuating her American-beauty.

She quickly saw me watching in amusement and blushed a deep red. "Hi! You probably don't know me, but I'm Emily, Gazzy's girlfriend," she sighed, turning around to shake my hand.

I smirked. Her dress, which was black and spaghetti strapped, was slightly crinkled. It was made mostly of satin, with a simple overlay of mesh. Her boots came up to her knee with a slight heel to them, but it seemed to suit her. **(A/n: pictures on my profile peeps!) **

I quickly shook her hand and introduced myself as well, "Hi, I'm Fang. The dead guy,"

She laughed a small, tinkling laugh. I couldn't help but feel happy for Gazzy, who had found someone like her.

A loud bang made Emily jump. Max's screech filled the halls and I erupted into a bout of laughter. She gave me an apologetic look before walking off to assist.

Then, as if on cue, Nudge and Angel came running down the hall as well.

Nudge, as usual, looked beautiful. Her hair had been straightened, falling in caramel swirls along her shoulders. Her dress was simple, a dark purple with a belt just underneath her bust. Her shoes matched the color of her dress completely, and were only a plain purple heel.

Compared to her normal attire, she looked quite _toned down_.

Angel was dressed casually, because she was going over to Ms. Martinez's. She wore a simple striped, yellow hoodie with torn jeans to match. She, too, wore converse, except her's were pink. Her long blond hair was brushed and flowed in beautiful waves down to the middle of her back.

They both quickly said hello's, then vanished from sight.

I was still laughing when I entered the kitchen and sat down.

Iggy, miraculously, had already changed. He wore black jeans with a purple, button down. The shirt matched mine perfectly.

Gazzy was dressed in a black tee with white symbols along the top. His jeans were much lighter and looser.

All of us wore black converse. I couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that Nudge had dressed us _all._

Finally, Max emerged. I could hear her stumbling down the hall, her loud snarls rung in my ears.

Iggy and Gazzy had been chuckling quietly until the sound of stumbles stopped. Then, their mouths hung open as they gaped at Max.

I swiveled in my seat and gasped at the sight before me. Max wore a blue, halter neck dress that billowed along her legs, ending at the knees. Her shoes were black, coming to her ankles, and peep toe.

Most importantly, her face made me gasp. Her overly-long hair had been cut, and now rested a little past her shoulders in fine curls. Her eyes had been done in natural pinks and browns, making the chocolate of her eyes all that more prominent.

She bit one of her glossy lips and fidgeted with her hands. I could almost _feel _the nervousness rolling off of her.

She had no right to be nervous; she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

_Max P.O.V._

The look in his eyes made me want to squirm.

I had more make-up on than _anybody _in the room. I had frigging hairspray on my _butt! _Who gets hairspray on their _butt?_

_You do Max!_

_Can it Angel!_

Angel simply shrugged one shoulder and made her way around the room, hugging everybody goodbye. She would be flying solo to Mom's.

Fang looked almost _hungrily _at me. Sure, anybody else would be _extremely _creeped, but this was Fang. It was…well….embarrassing, yet flattering to be stared at that by your soul mate.

"OK!" Iggy shouted, "now that Max is gone, let's hit the road. This new girl _better _be a lot of fun!"

The girls giggled and I smirked. Leave it to Iggy to break an awkward silence.

I took a deep breath and stumbled over to Fang, "You ready hotshot?"

My answer as a _very _enthusiastic kiss on the mouth.

**A/N: well, that's it folks. If you didn't already know, I've got pictures of the outfits on my profile. You can check those out as you read.**


	11. PARTAY!

**Here it is! My brother's birthday was yesterday so… well…you know why I couldn't update! **

**Song of the day: I Hate This Part- Pussycat Dolls**

**On with the show!**

Getting to the club was easy. We simply got into the van (courtesy of Iggy) and drove off to the darn place.

It was getting out that was so hard. Between all the lace, spiky heels, and buttons, I was about ready to puke.

We eventually got out single file, and then were able to group together again. Gazzy and Emily went in first; flashing their fake ID's to the bouncer along the way. Then went Iggy and Nudge, leafing Fang and I alone.

I continued to sit on the hood of the car, catching my breath. As soon as we'd made it out of that metal prison, I'd fallen right on Gazzy, who cracked his head on the asphalt below. After hauling me onto the hood, Gazzy had wound his arm around Emily's waist, glared at me a final time, and then stomped off.

Now I sat with my head between my knees, wheezing like some _old man._

"Max? You okay? We don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Fang's soft voice woke up all of my senses and my wheezing stopped immediately.

I sat up straight and slowly slid off of the warm hood. "No. this is your night. Let's go have fun," I practically ordered before stomping off.

Okay. I tip-toed off. But I did it with a purpose!

After fishing out our driver's licenses (Fang's was fake for now) we headed through the double doors and immediately maneuvered over to the bar.

"Twelve shots of Tequila please!" Iggy screamed to the bartender.

I opened my mouth to protest, but everyone gave me a look. Even Fang took my hand and murmured, "Shut up," in my ear.

I shivered before taking a seat next to Emily.

_This wasn't going to end well._

**Fang POV**

Max stumbled over to a seat and huffed before plopping down. Even though her lipstick was smudged slightly, she looked gorgeous. Her dress fanned out over the chair, making her into a duchess.

_And you're the poor farm boy._

I quickly shook my head and pulled a chair around, making our group transform into a circle of chairs.

"And welcome to the alcoholic's group therapy meeting! Max? Would you like to go first?" Gazzy asked in a voice that sounded _strangely _like George Bush's.

With a slight giggle, Max grabbed a shot glass off the counter and downedit before continuing, "Hi! I'm Max Ride and I'm an alcoholic,"

I smirked at the sound of her, now, hoarse voice.

"Hi Max," we all replied in unison.

"Okay. Emily?" Gazzy asked, now sounding like Angelina Jolie.

Giggling loudly, Emily grabbed the small glass. It took her a moment to drink it because her hand shook along with her giggles.

"My name's Emilay Summers and I are an active alcoholic." she added a slight cheer to the end.

This game continued on until everyone had downed their two shots.

I didn't even have a buzz going on and Nudge was swaying wildly in her chair. Even Emily hadn't stopped chortling for the past five minutes. Gazzy kept smirking and shaking his head at her.

"Bartender? Another twelve shots please!" Max shouted over the booming music, her voice slightly slurred.

She was mostly sober, only slurring a little bit every once in a while.

Iggy was rubbing Nudge's thigh and talking about _food. _Apparently, when that man gets drunk, he gets fixated on food. He was talking about breakfast when he downed his third round.

**Max POV**

Fang had just chugged his fourth shot, and burst into a round of laughter as Emily fell out of her chair…_again. _

"Hey guys! We're gonna split. His house is only a few miles away, so we'll fly home," Iggy screamed before hauling Nudge out of the chair.

Iggy's hands had been traveling up her thigh over the past shots and she was practically panting like a _dog. _I didn't have to be a genius to know what _that _meant.

"OOOHHH! Nudge! You dirty guuurl!" Emily slurred, slapping her on the shoulder.

Nudge turned red as we all laughed loudly at Emily's bluntness.

"Use protection!" Gazzy called after the eager couple, turning before he saw the finger Iggy gave him.

"Okay g-guys! Hoteeeel time!" I yelled, my slurring _way _too obvious.

We all grabbed our purses and jackets before stumbling out the brightly lit exit. Gazzy was whispering something in Emily's ear that was making her grin like a lunatic.

Fang smiled _a lot _when drunk. Even right now, a small half-smile braced his handsome face.

"I love it when you smile," I blurted out, turning five shades of red by the end of my confession.

Fang simply turned to look at me, a warm, full smile playing on his features.

I just about melted into a puddle of goo right then and there.

"Want a piggy back ride?"

I quickly nodded at Fang, afraid to speak.

I tugged off my heels and jumped into his waiting arms, squealing when he jumped.

Emily did the same to Gazzy, and we soon arrived to _Jeff's Lazy Day Motel_.

We checked in and soon enough, Emily and I were jumping up and down in the small elevator, our giggles escalating with each wiggle.

Gazzy and Fang merely chuckled.

Once on the third floor, I handed Fang his card and kissed him sweetly before turning around and walking off, adding a little swing to my hips as I went.

I opened the door swiftly and collapsed on our bed, my face buried deep within the lavender scented covers.

"I'm soooo glad we got a room together!" Emily squealed, taking off her boots quickly and chucking them at one of the walls.

"Me too," I muttered, my voice muffled greatly through the fluffy pillow.

Emily giggled again before pulling back the covers to her bed and wiggling inside.

We had two beds in our room, one bathroom, and a television. I'd bought the cheapest two bedrooms possible, since I only had Iggy's credit card.

I was pulling off my stockings when the first wave of nausea came.

I made a bee-line for the bathroom and immediate puked up all of the alcohol I'd consumed all night.

Ugh. Puke!

**Fang POV**

Gazzy was snoring beside me in the other twin bed. I'd just puked up all of the alcohol I'd consumed, and was now laying on top of the covers, my shirt discarded to the floor.

I could hear Max in the other room, her retching making me wince. She was doing the same thing I'd done only _moments _ago, only her's was lasting _much longer._

I huffed and hauled myself up from the bed. I snuck over to the door and yanked it open silently, not wanting to disturb Gazzy.

I crept over to Max's door and knocked on it slowly.

I was shocked to see Emily yank open the door, her face annoyed.

She looked past me, shrugged, and then slowly closed the door back up.

That was all the time I needed as I slipped past Emily and into the small room.

Invisibility sure comes in handy sometimes.

Silent as a shadow, I walked over to the bathroom, slipped in, and shut the door behind me.

There was Max, kneeling in front of the toilet, her head resting against the side.

I released the invisibility blocking my presence and kneeled next to her, laying my head on the opposite of the cool porcelain so I could look at her.

Through half lidded eyes, Max smiled.

It was that smile that caused me to freeze. What was I doing? Max had _no idea _what had happened to me and she _still _trusted me undoubtedly.

I sighed and quickly lifted me head from the white surface. "Max? There's something I need to tell you,"

**I know! I'm evil! But my fingers are numb and I need chocolate, so this is the end of chapter 11.**

**Thank you to all my reviewers! You keep me going! **


	12. Confessions

**Heya dudes and dudets! Just wanted to say that I started a poll on my page, and would like some votes!**

**Song of the Day: Blow Me Away- Breaking Benjamin**

**Max POV**

"Max? There's something I need to tell you," Fang said, his face remorseful.

I sobered up quickly. A second ago, he'd been sitting right next to me, smirking while I dopily smiled back.

I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth and leaned away from the toilet. All thoughts of nausea were long gone. All I could think of was Fang, and the look disturbing the beauty of his face.

"What is it? You can tell me anything you know," I said matter-of-factly.

He looked from his hands, which were resting firmly on is lap, and gazed into my eyes. I shivered at the look of them. They looked… dead. Like something had sucked his very soul from his body.

I gasped when he grasped my arm firmly in one of his calloused hands. They were ice cold.

"Max…you can't interrupt me alright? I don't know if I can say this twice." he said in a grave voice.

I gave a small nod and sat forward more.

He opened his mouth, and began to tell me.

At the end of his tale, we were both in tears. My eyebrows were knit and I could only take in deep staggered breaths of disbelief.

Fang had taken to looking at his hands again. His head hung low, but I could see the small drops of moisture falling from his face. He as slumped against the shower stall, his legs stretched in front of him.

I was sitting on the sink, directly across from him. My feet dangled low, and almost touched his calves. My back leaned against the old mirror, my hands braced on the cool, white porcelain of the faucet.

"Oh my god," I breathed.

He looked up at me again, his eyes blood shot. His whole face was filled with a pain and agony that I could not get rid of.

That's what hurt the most. My best friend, my life, had o hold all of this pain in while we _sat around _eating pizza and watching television.

I'd never been so disgusted with myself in my entire life. It brought a fresh wave of hot tears to my eyes as I slid from the white sink and into his lap.

He looked at with the same defeated expression. His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he carefully cupped my face in his large hands.

"I'm so sorry," I breathed again, my voice a mere broken whisper.

I gently traced circles on his chest and gazed into his broken heart. It still beat, but was only a fraction of what it was before. Slowly, I extended my arms, and then wrapped them around his body, bringing him closer to me. That's when his reverie broke. He sobbed loudly and sloppily in my shoulder, his arms clutching at my ribs. His body shook and rippled beneath my own as he sobbed relentlessly.

"sssh. It's okay, Fang. Let it out. You've been it in for far too long. Its safe now," I whispered in his ear.

"it's not! They'll find you!" he cried, his voice small and scared.

Gently, I removed one arm from his shaking shoulders and put it under his chin. Slowly, he looked up at me, the look on his face breaking my heart.

"Hey! I'm the indestructible Maximum Ride remember? Nothing can bring me down. Not as long as we're all together," I chided gently, my face pulled into a small smirk.

He gently quirked a smile, "what do we do now leader?"

I smiled fully. He was okay, and (now) so was I. "We round up the flock, and we go away for a while."

With that, I kissed him. Like always, he quickly responded, wrapping his strong arms around my waist so I could be closer.

I sighed into the kiss, knotting my hands into his dark hair.

Right after the sigh, he pulle4d away, his face pulled into a grimace of disgust. "Let's continue this after you brush our teeth missy."

I laughed loudly before clamoring off of his lap and into the bedroom ahead of me.

Emily was gone. Her bed was made, no traces of her left behind.

I turned around to Fang, my eyes wild. My mouth opened to let loose a fly of hysterical comments before Fang put his warm hand over my mouth, silencing me.

Smirking broadly, he pointed to the wall behind the headboards which separated our rooms.

At first I didn't understand, but after a few moments, my eyes widened considerably. The sounds of smacking and moaning filled my ears.

I quickly doubled over in cackles, my eyes filled with tears. Fang chuckled quietly alongside me, his shoulders shaking.

"GASMAN!" Emily shrieked loudly, her screams vibrating the walls.

I fell over, my cackles turning into hysterical laughter. My eyes bulged from my head, my muscles locked.

Fang collapsed next to me, his laughter a bass to my soprano. He clutched at his stomach and rolled back and forth.

We waited ten minutes. Then, we left my room and banged on their door, which was locked. We giggled at the **DO NOT DISTURB **sign.

Gazzy answered the door first. His hair was disheveled and he had a towel wrapped around his face.

He'd opened the door with a scowl, but it soon turned into a look of pure mortification, which caused more giggles to erupt from my throat.

I stepped around his blushing body and winced at the sight of Gazzy's room.

Clothes were _everywhere. _There was even a strapless bra on the lamp. Emily's dress lay in ruins next to the bed, its neat overlay now ripped to shreds.

"You know, Nudge is going to kill you for that," fang commented, obviously seeing the dress.

"OMG! Max and Fang are here?! Gazzy! Why didn't you tell me?" came Emily's voice from the bathroom.

"We decided to make a surprise visit. We were going to come earlier, but some suspicious sounds caught us off guard," I said, sitting down on the night stand.

Gazzy blushed even harder and skipped to the bathroom, picking up a pair of jeans on his way. I simply smirked as Emily came out of the bathroom in a white robe, her face bright as a tomato.

"Gazzy?"

"Yeah?" he yelled back, his voice muffled by the door.

"Hurry up, we're leaving…now!" I screamed back.

Moments later, his head popped out of the door, one eyebrow raised.

"I'll tell you later. K?"

He simply nodded before sauntering out, his tight jeans covering what the towel had.

Emily quickly threw on her boots (and Gazzy's shirt) and wore my leggings for pants. I snickered at the sight of Fang handing her the lacy bra, his other hand covering his eyes.

They didn't stop blushing until we were in the elevator. Fang and I had already gotten _fully _dressed, unlike the two smiling goons next to us.

We were about to exit the glass doors when Gazzy piped up, "Wait! What if they're…you know…_busy?_"

"Like you guys? I doubt it. They're probably asleep by now." I waved at them, successfully making them blush again.

Fang winked at me before taking off, his face covered in a smirk. I shivered before taking off after Gazzy, who was holding a giggling Emily.

_Giggle while you can Emily. The next hour _won't _be filled with smiles and sugar plums._

**There you go! No cliffy this time! *smiles*. Like I said, please answer to my poll. It's on my page now!**


	13. Departing

The fly home was entirely silent. Fang continued to stare straight ahead, his mouth tight and eyebrows drawn together. Gazzy simply stared into Emily's eyes, as if sensing that their time together would be soon coming to an end.

Tears involuntarily swam in my eyes. Every few moments I would angrily swipe them away, mentally scolding myself for being such a _baby._

Soon, I stood in front of Dr. Martinez's humble adobe, my sniffles muted for the moment. Fang kept looking down at me, his face softening more and more with each glance.

Even before we reached the door, Angel came out onto the porch. Her solemn face was illuminated by the yellow porch light, and the sights made me want to just break down and sob.

She carried her backpack, but it was bulkier than I remembered.

"_It's nonperishable food Max. I figured we would need some," _Angel whispered ion my ear, her voice grave.

_Thanks sweetie._

Angel quirked one side of her mouth up while she walked down to us. I couldn't help but notice that it didn't reach her eyes.

"Nudge and Iggy are in the ally behind the shop. They're all packed up, even have the rest of us packed as well," Angel stated, her voice never changing in tone.

I sucked in a deep breath, trying not to cry. Fang reassuringly grabbed my hand, but I wasn't feeling any better.

With that said Gazzy scooped Emily back into his arms and took off into the night sky. Angel soon followed, and then Fang spread his midnight wings, looked at me sorrowfully, then dropped my hand and took off into a graceful canter.

With one last at my mom's house, I spread my own wings and ran through the woods surrounding me, ready to join the night sky.

"So, you're saying that they want Max so they can reproduce?" Iggy asked his tone skeptical.

Fang nodded mutely as he stared ahead.

"Then why don't they take Nudge, Emily, or Angel? You have _no _idea how this will affect the rest of the flock!" Iggy shouted, a few tendons surfacing in his neck.

"Then we will split up!" I shouted back, my tone defensive.

Angel looked up at me, her face remorseful, "I want to be with Max," she whispered.

My voice caught in my throat. Tears swam in my eyes, unshed.

"How about this? An older member goes with a younger member!" Emily added, her face suddenly excited.

"Where does that leave you," Nudge challenged, her face somber.

"I'm going to Valencia's of course!" Emily said, her face full of a certain cold pride.

"I'm with Nudge," Iggy stated suddenly, his voice firm.

"Iggy, as much as I'd like that, you know that can't happen! You have to be with Gazzy. You two can get out of any mess, and Fang and Nudge have been paired up before. Also, relationships could get in the way," I stated, my voice firm.

"Max! We were fourteen, still on the run, while you and Fang were making out in the back seat! Don't talk to _me _about inappropriate relationships!"

"Hey! At least _we _followed orders!" I yelled back.

Nudge stepped forward, her chin set stubbornly, "Hey! None of us want this to be happening, but fighting about it isn't making the issue go away! Now, we need to work together and pull through, because otherwise, we're already dead! Got it?"

"Nudge and I will go to new York," Fang mumbled quietly, still staring at the wall in front of him.

"Paris!" Angel squealed excitedly.

"Tokyo!" shouted Iggy and Gazzy at the _same _time.

I sighed and looked at my flock. "What about Akila and Total?"

"Total's already with Mom. So, why don't I just grab Akila and take her over there?" Emily asked, her eyebrows raised.

I looked down at Fang, "I guess this is goodbye then?"

He looked up at me, "Yeah. Goodbye," he whispered before jumping up and hugging me hard.

Tears leaked from my eyes and I squeezed him back, never wanting to let go. "Don't take so long this time ok? And no jumping in front of my car," I giggled, my sentence muffled by his neck.

Fang chuckled quietly before nodding and releasing me. He tenderly gripped my cheeks before placing soft kisses on my mouth.

"Get a room!" Iggy yelled, a few chuckles erupting from my flock.

Gently, I pulled away from Fang and wrapped my arms around myself before going around and hugging the rest of my flock. Tears mixed with hugs as I said goodbye to my reasons for living.

"Make sure to call me everyday," Gazzy murmured in my ear, sounding a lot like my mom.

I laughed slightly and nodded, taking another big whiff of his _AXE _cologne.

With our last reunion, we all took off in our separate directions. I continued to look behind my shoulder at Fang's retreating form, even after he was gone from my sight.

"Max, they're gone. Come on," Angel murmured, her soft white wings seeming to glow in the moonlight.

Then, the reality of it all came crushing down on me, and I wept the entire flight to London. Angel cried along with me, her face broken.


	14. The Capture

**My computer crashed…and I mean…it crashed HARD! We had to buy an entirely new system. Sad huh? Anyway, thanks for all the reviews and I'll continue to update through the school year.**

**Song of the Day: For You by Staind**

**MAX POV**

We crashed in _Moe's Motel _(original name I know!), our wings aching and our legs burning. Our tears had dried up long ago, but we still ended up sharing the same bed, my arms wrapped protectively around my baby.

"Max? Will we ever see them again?" Angel whispered, her voice sounding fragile.

She didn't use her full voice anymore. She simply communicated by thought and whispers. It hurt, but I understood.

I forced a smile. "No matter how bad things get, and I know we can count on them."

I felt the side of Angel's mouth quirk, so I continued, pushing myself into a sitting position in the process, "We will always be there, strong and aware, to help the other out."

My eyebrows knit, my voice hardened. I wonder if I was trying so hard to convince _her _or _me._

She let out a broken sigh, rolled over, and was asleep in moments. I too sighed, remembering the flock that I had, only hours away. The quiet, loving Fang. The loud, hyper Nudge. The calm, helpful Iggy. The joking, odd Gazzy.

I switched off the lamp beside me and walked the short distance of my room to the bathroom. There, I switched on the fluorescent light, shut the door halfway, and nestled onto the armchair next to it.

_This is going to be a looong watch, Max. At least _try _to stay awake. _

Angel's screams awoke me from my light slumber. I snapped from my resting place to find our room _covered _in black.

No! Men in black were _covering _the room. Even some men were squatting on the floor!

"Max-hi-mum Ride," one of the things stated in a grating voice.

"Why can't _any _of you guys get my name right?" I snarled in disbelief, already crouching down.

"Max-hi-mum Ride," it repeated again.

"Yeah? I got that part," I snarled again before launching myself onto the nearest man.

These guys…_weren't MEN._ The thing I ran into was _metal. _I ended up hitting it so hard my teeth rattled inside my skull.

It moved about an inch while I tumbled to the floor, my head pounding.

Now the Metal Heads decided to move, they sprung upon my still form, successfully pinning me to the ground.

"They're metal," Angel screamed from the bed.

_Thank you Captain Obvious!_

"Max-hi-mum Ride," the thing stepped forward, standing over me.

_Seraglio. _A voice whispered in my head.

My eyes widened in shock and realization. The army! The one Fang had tried to destroy! Oh no! they'd found us.

My eyes sought Angel's out desperately. She too, knew. Tears swam in her bright blue eyes as she struggled against her captors.

The leader laughed at the sight of my epiphany. The laugh sent shivers down my spine.

"Max-hi-mum Ride. You are done," it added, its voice a feral hiss.

Then, he raised his boot, and brought it down upon my face.

**FANG POV**

"_No!" _

Angel's scream made me jump to my feet and look out beyond the horizon. It wasn't her _real _voice. It was probably a simple nightmare. I'd been having those lately.

But it her despair _felt _real. It _felt _as if she was right there, in Paris, in desperate trouble. She'd already told me the hotel she and Max were staying at, and I'd told her ours.

We were bunking at a simple _Holiday Inn. _The guy at the front desk had eyed us a little strangely, but booked us none the less.

"It's them," Nudge whispered, her breathing raspy and her eyes wide.

"What?"

Nudge had been silent the entire flight here. I think this was the first time she had spoken.

"They've gotten them! It's too late," Nudge shouted, already scrambling for her clothes.

Just as she finished packing the clothing, the Seraglio stormed in, dressed in their usual armor.

_Shit! _

"Max-hi-mum Ride," one hissed.

I quickly backed up towards the bathroom, my hands behind my back and searching for anything that might be a weapon. Nudge was nowhere in sight.

_Maybe she got away._

"Max-hi-mum Ride," it repeated.

_What is it with these guys and saying Max's name wrong?_

"Yeah! She's down the hall and to the left mother-"

The monster crumpled then, a butcher's knife sticking out of his chest.

I had no time to praise Nudge. I turned and began to fight; using any appliance I could get my hand on. A lamp smashed into one's face; a phone went _through_ its chest.

**Gazzy's POV**

"Hey dude? Do you have _any _idea what they're saying?" I whispered, walking past a lady who was gutting a squid. _Ewww!_

"No?" Iggy whispered back, his voice uncertain.

_Here, _we stuck out like a sore thumb. Iggy was probably like a giant to these people, and we _both _looked like a couple of albinos.

"Max-hi-mum Ride," a voice hissed, somewhere in front of us.

We stopped immediately. Oddly, the entire street had been cleared.

_Geez! These guys know how to clear a room better than I can!_

"Well isn't she the popular one?" Iggy muttered his eyebrows knit.

"Max-hi-mum Ride," the thing snarled again, and I found myself staring down the nozzle of a gun.

"Dude? That had _better _be fire proof," I said.

As if miraculously, his gun melted in his hands. A blue fire danced across both my palms as I smirked at the other Metal Heads.

_It's go time!_

**MAX POV**

"Max-hi-mum Ride," a grating voice stated.

I swatted it away and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep.

Then, the past few hours hit me like a truck and I bolted upright, my brain rolling around in my skull.

_Ungh. My luck just doesn't change huh?_

"Max?" Angel whispered from beside me.

I looked around. We were in a dark room, with a single light hanging above us. Angel sat in a… (You guessed it) _cage _right next to my own.

"Max?" Angel repeated, her delicate hand outstretched to my own.

"I'm here," I managed to croak out, my throat feeling as dry as the Sahara. Why don't bad guys _ever _serve refreshments?!?!

"Max? What's going to happen to us?" Angel whispered, her voice suddenly thicker.

"I don't know sweetie," I gently cooed back as I pushed against my cage, searching for weak links.

No dice. I focused my ability on the bars, trying to bend them. All I got was a friggin headache.

"They made them so your powers have no effect," Angel stated calmly.

_Great!_

"You have no worries dearest. We shall take good care of you," a voice whispered from the darkness.

"Fuck you," I hissed back, spittle flying to my chin in the process.

I wiped it away quickly, hoping he didn't see it. I was going for scary and dangerous, not old and goopy.

"Oh, don't worry! When you wake up, you shall like me _very _much," the guy gleefully stated, his voice dangerously close to my cage.

"Touch me and you die," I snarled, backing away from the voice as much as this stupid cage would allow.

"I need not touch you," he laughed, closer _still._

I took a deep breath, ready to let fly a string of every naughty word in the book. I was prepared to spring up like a trap as soon as I heard the latch on the cage release. My plan was like a stinking _map _in my head!

Within that deep breath, came my undoing. A soon as the new bout of oxygen was in my system, my arms and legs lost all feeling. All thoughts of destruction left my mind and I could only think of one thing: _him._

"That's good my sweet!" he whispered from my left.

I fought to get nearer. To breathe in his cologne and touch his face. He was all I needed to live.

"Yes," was all I could whisper.

If it made him happy, then I was game.

"M-max?" came Angel's desperate plea from the cage beside me.

I turned my gaze to her, "don't worry sweetie. He's going to take care of us."

"What about the rest of the flock?" she hissed back.

_Flock? What flock? A flock of birds? Who cares?_

"Angel? What are you talking about?" I laughed, confused.

"What. Are. We. Doing. Here?" she snarled, punctuating each word with a slap to the floor of her cage.

"I…"

I couldn't finish. I had absolutely _no idea _what I was doing here!

"You are here because the police caught you and your niece drunk driving my darling," he stated calmly.

"Oh dear! I cannot remember!" I yelled, desperate to find out who my saviors name was.

"Do not fret my dear. I am Gabriel, and I am your fiancé. Your niece is homeless, so we have recently taken you in."

The sound of Angel sobbing made me do a double take, "Hey! At least I can remember your-"

I never got to finish my sentence though, because a blow to the back of my neck knocked me unconscious in a single second.

_Fang._


	15. Realize

Fang POV

_Run._

That was the only thought in my head as I swung the towel rod, successfully connecting it with another Seraglio's head. Nudge continued to brandish her lamp like a sword, but it was no use, we were out numbered.

"Nudge! Get out!" I shouted, barely aware of the razor-sharp claws piercing the delicate skin of my ear.

"What?!" nudge screamed back, muffling a moan as one hit her in the stomach.

"Just. Get. OUT!" my voice cracked at the end.

Nudge turned to face me, searching my eyes for something. I continued to motion wildly to the window, which had been broken a while ago.

With one more desperate glance, she gracefully leaped out the window. I last glimpsed her hair, which caught a single shard of glass, glittered, and then was gone from my sight.

_Max, I love you._

With a deep breath, I began to channel my anger towards my finger tips. Within moments, the lights zapped a few times before shutting off completely.

The only light came from my hands, which glowed a cobalt blue.

I closed my eyes and winced before the electricity exploded from the palms of my hands. Before blacking out (from exhaustion or pain, I'm not sure) I heard Nudge's mystified gasp, and smiled.

**Iggy POV**

Everything smelled like burning plastic. I wrinkled my nose in spite of myself.

"Dude!" was all Gazzy could say.

And he'd been saying it for the past ten minutes straight.

"Yeah, I know!" I yelled, a headache beginning to drill a hole into my brain.

Gazzy turned to quickly stare at me before muttering a quick, "sorry," and leaving. I caught a glimpse of his white wings before I, too, began to run forward, my wings already spread behind me.

Once in the air, I smiled. The crisp, night air whipped around my face, creating a loud whistling in my ear. My hair whipped around wildly in the strong currents, but I didn't care anymore.

Flying was the best thing I could get out of this world. While flying, you didn't have to worry about Erasers, Seraglio, or Flyboys. Up here, you were free.

Well, most of the time at least.

**Fang POV**

_Ouch._

It seemed like I always woke up like that. Life just couldn't be complete without my daily dose of pain.

A croak escaped me at the thought of taking a pill that caused pain.

"Fang? Fang!" nudge's squeal pierced my ears and I winced, not even bothering to brace myself as she tackled me in a flying hug.

"Mongo! I thought you were dead! And you're not! Oh my God! How'd you to that electricity thing? Does Max know? Oh! You are in _so _much trouble when she finds out! How cou-"

The entire time that she'd been rambling on, I'd been searching for her face. My hands had found her yes, nose, ears, and (FINALLY) both my hands smacked over her loud, open mouth.

I quickly felt something slimy brushing against my hand, and pulled away in disgust. Nudge quickly spat on the ground, voicing her revolt with her tongue touching my dirty hands.

"I don't even know where those have _been!" _

I let out another croak. Slowly, I willed my crusty eyes to open. Luckily, it was still night, yet the orange flames seemed to sizzle my poor retina.

Squinting profusely, I quickly sat up and neared the fire, sitting cross legged as close as I could. The red flames quickly began to heat the flesh of my legs, leaving my arms to fend for themselves.

"You want something to eat?" nudge asked quietly, handing me a steaming bowl of brown mush.

I shoveled it down like there was no tomorrow. At the end of my savage attack, my stomach ached and I groaned at the sudden addition of pain.

"You okay?" nudge asked quietly.

She sat on the other side of the heat, her knees brought up to her chest. Her hair was (once again) a frizzy mess and all traces of make up had left her face. The entire time I saw her, I kept getting a weird sense of deja vu.

Something in my heart burst, seeing her like that.

"Fang?" nudge whispered, tears beginning to glimmer in her eyes.

I could only grunt. My entire jaw hurt. My knuckles were raw, my torso stabbed with each breath, and my legs felt like jell-o.

"I need to tell you something. And you're not gonna like it," Nudge took a deep breath, as if battling something within herself, "Max isn't okay,"

Immediate, I leapt up and spread my wings. But nudge was faster. With a restricting hand, she forcefully pushed me back down, smirking when I whined like a dog.

She quickly settled next to me, staring at the fire as she continued on, "I can't see much clearly. All I know is that Angel and Max aren't themselves anymore. They can't see their wings and they think they are different people. Someone has done something to them."

"How?" my voice still sounded like I'd gargled a bunch of nails.

Wincing, she said, "Someone else with powers like us. All I can see is the back of a man's head, and Max looking up at him like he's God or something. I don't know what to do," she whispered, dropping hr head into her lap.

"First, we go get Iggy and Gazzy. Then we try to find Max. She's somewhere in Paris, and we'll need to lie low for a while. The Seraglio need to lose us before we walk Max and Angel into all of this."

By the end of my order, I was already dowsing the fire and Nudge was packing the supplies away

Once done, I turned to face Nudge, "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," she replied in a wispy voice before dropping off the cliff where we'd been the entire time.

**Max POV**

"Madison? _Madison!_"

The urgent voice awoke me from my slumber. I quickly turned over, wanting the voices to go away.

"No! You need to go to work! Now GET UP!"

Ashley quickly stomped over to the other side of my bed and yanked my comforter off, immediate making me shiver.

"Go 'way!" I screamed into the pillow.

Ashley was my baby cousin, who'd come to live with me ever since her parents had died in a car crash. She was a regular American beauty with find blond, curly hair and wide blue eyes.

"Please Mattie?" Ashley whimpered, her voice floating into my ears.

I groaned a final time before hauling myself off my bed and sprinting to the shower. A shower was the only way to wake up.

And to think of my most recent of dreams. This time, I'd dreamed of _him. _He haunted my mind like a ghost. His dark hair hung down in his eyes as he gazed at me with those dark, mournful eyes.

I just had to figure out what he wanted from me.

Last night though, he'd spoken to me for the first time. It was a simple whisper, but clear enough that it made me ponder over the idea.

_I love you._

The hot water soothed my aching neck and cleared my head of all else.

Except _him _of course. He still walked behind my eyelids, his saunter burning deep into my memory forever.

Who was this guy?

Most importantly? Did I love him back?


	16. Normal Life

**MADISON POV**

"Excuse me miss? Can you direct me to the science fiction section?"

_You sure look like a _Star Wars_ fan _"Yes sir! All you have to do is walk down that aisle right there and turn right. It's right next to the TEEN section," I said, adding a cheery note to my voice.

If you hadn't already figured it out, I worked for a library. The pay sucked and the hours were long and boring, but I was able to borrow books for as long as I wanted and I had radio duties. So, it wasn't _all _that bad.

I returned my attention to the books I was currently marking. They were all new, and needed their won bar codes and official stamps before they were put on the shelves. It was just another one of the perks of working at the library: you got to read all of the latest releases before they were even on the shelves yet.

"Madison!" my boss barked, "you have a customer waiting!"

I _hated _Pricilla. I hated her with a fury. She was so damn picky! Everything had to be _this _way and _that _way! Sometimes I actually _tried _to screw up, just to make her mad.

Hey! It was some of those things that actually made it amusing.

I quickly stuck a bar code on one of the books before turning to the _Star Wars _guy.

"Yes! How may I help you sir?"

"I'd like to check this book out," _Star Wars _guy replied, his voice nasally.

He handed me a science fiction novel on aliens.

_Go figure._

"Will that be all for you today?" I replied in a happy tone, already sliding his library card through the computer.

"Yes," he replied in a tired voice.

I quickly scanned the book and handed it back to him, his receipt and library card stuck inside the front cover, "Thank you and come again soon!"

_Star Wars _guy simply nodded before stuffing his book inside his shirt and slithering outside.

I looked down at my work and sighed. The only reason I worked here was to pay for my college. Trust me, if I had a good resume, I'd _definitely _be outta this dump.

"Mattie! Mattie, oh my gosh!"

I looked up and immediately smiled. Ashley often came in and did her homework behind the front counter, but today it seemed like most of the homework was going to remain untouched.

"Hey girl! What's up?"

"Oh my GOD!" she squealed as she came up and hugged my, her purse swinging and hitting me in the hip.

_That's going to leave a bruise._

"You will NEVER guess what happened today!"

"You attacked with your purse?" I murmured, now returning half my attention to library labels.

"What? No! OK! Today, in third hour Algebra? Mr. Voist was, like, rattling off all these stupid math problems. So, I just acted like you and tuned out so-"

"Hey!"

She continued on like she hadn't been interrupted, "he just HAD to call on me. I, like, didn't the answer _at all_ so the entire time I was looking at him I just kept thinking 'call on someone else. Call on someone else'. And you know what he did? He got this blank stare, and called on some other chick named Vicky!"

I halted all movements. My hands remained nestled safely inside the clean, crisp book; my eyes continued to stare at the title.

"What?" I murmured quietly.

"Isn't that sooo cool? It's like mind control or something!" Ashley continued to gush, her cheeks covered in red blotches of excitement.

I turned to look at her, my brows furrowed, "How did it work exactly? Are you sure it wasn't just a coincidence?"

She must have realized how serious I was about this, "Oh Mattie! It wasn't _real!_ It probably _was _just a simple coincidence!"

I let out a breath and returned (once again) to my work.

_Yes, it was just a coincidence. _

"How's your day been?" Ashley mumbled quietly, her eyes shifting to her hands.

"Boring, per usual," I responded, desperate to get the light mood back, "and yours?"

That was all it took. Ashley launched into a tale about math class while I continued to stamp books. Only simple nods and small "mhmms" kept her going.

"Oh my gosh! Look at _him!"_ Ashley squealed, deviating form her heroic tale about saving some kid from near death.

_As if!_

I turned my attention towards the boy who had just come in. He had a short crown of dark brown hair and waved at us half-heartedly.

"Did you see that? He waved at me! I'm in love!"

I made gagging sounds and peeled another bar code from its slick wrapper.

"Oh Mattie!" she scoffed, "You wouldn't know what love was if it bit you on the nose!"

It was my turn to scoff, "Excuse me missy! I happen to love _you _very much!"

She sighed, as if I were a small child. "You know the kind of love _I'm _talking about, Mattie. The kind of love that lifts you into the air and causes you to _soar _above the clouds! Love is something that makes your palms sweat and your heart flutter!"

Ashley leapt off the counter, her arms waving wildly as she continued, "_This _love is held for only one person! A single man who will stand by your side through Heaven and Hell! He will hold your hand when you are sad, and Kiss you when you need it the most! Lo-"

"Ok!" I laughed, "I get it already! Love is really special!"

She laughed alongside me, her curls bouncing in rhythm to her giggles. Then, Mr. Ashley came up with a book, and her chortles halted immediately.

"Will this be all for you today?" I asked politely, plastering on the please-come-again smile.

"Nope. Thanks though!" he smiled, then left.

"Did you see that? Hot _and _polite! Oh my gawd!" Ashley leaned against the computer's monitor, and it moaned in protest.

"Get off that thing before you crush it you fatty," I laughed, shoving her out of the way.

"Max," she sighed, her eyes glazed over.

"Is that his name?" I asked offhandedly.

Her head seemed to snap up. "What?"

I frowned at the confusion written on her face, "You said 'Max'". And I asked if that was his name."

Her eyebrows creased, marring her natural beauty, "I can't remember."

"Hmm," I frowned again, wrinkling my forehead in the process.

Ashley shrugged and picked up one of the books I had just labeled. She opened it to the middle and began to read the text that was hidden within.

"Maybe it'll come back later," she offered, her voice distracted.

I didn't have to look hard to see that she really wasn't reading that book. She'd been reading the same paragraph for the past five minutes.

"Yeah, hopefully,"

My shift ended at nine. I breathed a sigh of relief as I set the alarm and had just locked the doors. Then, I turned and began to make my way over to my car.

Employees weren't allowed any good spots. My Chrysler was parked all the way down the plaza, next to a Starbucks.

My Puma-covered feet ached from standing all day. My hands were dried from handling all the papers, and all the white from the pages was giving me a killer migraine.

_Hooray!_

As soon as I reached the car, I collapsed into the seat, resting my cheek against the cool leather of my steering wheel. One leg simply hung out of the door, and the other flopped onto the gas pedal.

I couldn't drive home like this. That much I knew. Exhaustion washed over me in thick waves as I reached into my pocket for my _Rant._

It took me three tries because I kept on pressing _TALK _before I was done dialing.

"_Hello?"_

"Ashley? Baby? Can you pick me up?"

"_Yeah sure! Where are you?"_

"In the parking lot. At work." my words were slurring badly by now.

Ashley gave a tinny laugh, _" Ok. On my way. Don't go anywhere! Love you!"_

I muttered a quick, "As if," then hung up.

Ashley would come for me soon. Until then, I was going to sleep…

I was running. That much was certain.

It was the rest that was fuzzy.

I wore a pair of mud-caked jeans, and a shirt ripped in many places. My arms pumped powerfully at my sides, and my breath came out in short bursts.

I seemed to be trying to _find _something. Or get _something._ That something was what I was running towards. I was sure of it.

Next to me, the dark haired man ran alongside me. He looked much younger in my dream; roughly fourteen or fifteen.

"Keep going, Max" he hissed, his voice distant yet close at the same time.

_Max._ There was that name again. It was like I'd found another piece to the puzzle that was my mind.

I slowly turned away from the sight of him running with me to look straight ahead. In front of me, a helicopter appeared, its wings starting their warm-up cycle.

Everything else was black except for the copter. The large machine seemed to _glow. _It screamed to me, urging me that _this _was what I was running for.

I pushed my legs harder. My dark companion did the same thing. I arrived to the helicopter shortly, sweaty and huffing.

There was a very tall man standing just outside the large vehicle. His shirt was in torn shreds by his feet; his hair seemed to grow a few inches as he saw us.

He smiled cruelly, "Well! Isn't _this_ a nice surprise?"

"Ari," my dark friend snarled back, his hands curling into ready fists.

Panic swelled within in me as I saw the bloodlust in their eyes. They were going to fight, and there was nothing I could do about it.

"Max!" a small voice screamed.

I turned to see a small head peep from beneath a pile of dull, grey blankets inside the helicopter. She _too_ glowed, although her radiance outshone all others.

_Angel._

"Mattie?"

Ashley's voice brought me back to reality. I inhaled quickly, pushing myself upright and stretching like a kitten. I was in the back seat of my car, and Ashley sat in the front, looking back at me.

"How long was I out?" I asked, my voice displaying my grogginess.

She chuckled lightly, "Only for about an hour. Why did you decide to work so far away from home again?"

I shrugged, then reached for the door handle, "Thanks for driving me home Ash, it was really great."

She, too, shrugged. "No prob. Anything to repay what you have done for me!"

She giggled, the hugged me tightly. Before I had time to respond, she was out the car door, and making her way up the porch steps.

And then I sat there, in awe of what I had just realized.

Ashley had looked _just like_ the small girl in the helicopter.


	17. Unease

**I smiled as the sun gently washed over my face. It spilled from my window and warmed my entire body, making me feel happier than I had in days. **_**Is this what it feels to be in pure bliss?**_

**The sound of the shower running made me look at the clock 12:00 PM**, it read, its blocky, red letters seeming to imprint in my mind.

I quickly snapped out of bed, fixing my tank top so that it actually _covered _my chest. The grey material had been thrown askew in my deep, dreamless slumber. My baby blue sweatpants stuck to my legs. I quickly yanked them of, wincing at the sound of the 'pop' of the static.

I threw on a pair of black shorts, then flitted over to the bathroom. I threw open the door. "Ash?"

"Yeah?" her shadow turned to face me.

"I'm going to go out for a quick run. Don't have any parties without me okay?"

Ashley chuckled, but quickly responded, "Yeah, sure lieutenant!"

"At ease, soldier!" I laughed back, already shutting the door.

She used to joke that I sounded like a drill sergeant at times. Yes, I guess it could be true _at times._ But if you want a kid to turn out right in the end, it takes discipline and absolutely _no patience._

Okay, maybe that last part only pertained to moi. But it was so hard to keep a bad temper under check with a rebellious teen on the loose, breaking things and reeking havoc wherever she went.

I giggled at the sight of Ashley, stomping around Tokyo in a Godzilla costume.

_Tokyo. Iggy and Gazzy went to Tokyo._

I halted, my hand outstretched towards the box of Capt'n Crunch. My stomach groaned at my sudden lack of enthusiasm to feed it.

_Where had I heard those names before?_

I continued to stand there, puzzling over this new mystery. My arm still remained suspended in the air, silently begging for the cardboard box, which lay a few feet away, on the cool white of the marble countertop. My eyes remained in thoughtful slits, trying to see what lie just in front of me.

I remember the next series of events well. Simultaneously, my stomach grumbled loudly, and a blast of fire erupted in my skull. I let out a startled gasp, my hand falling limp at my side. I quickly squeezed my eyes shut, trying to wish the pain away.

_Pain, pain go away. Come again another day._

Then, it was gone. I let out a shaky breath, silently thanking the Heavens above. My arms slowly came up and rubbed my throbbing temples, their shaking momentarily stopping. My legs felt like jelly beneath me, and (with eyes still shut) I wobbled over to the table and flopped down.

I quickly scooted my chair closer to the table and rested my elbows on the cool wood. As my elbows made contact with it though, there was a loud _CRUNCH. _I opened my eyes and looked down.

I bit down a shriek as I leapt from the table, successfully knocking my chair over. I scrambled from the table, desperate to get as far away as I could. I was pretty sure I was hyperventilating right now. White and black blotches blocked the edges of my vision.

"Mattie! We are _not _rehearsing for a play right now! Trust me, your acting skills will never improve. So get up!" Ashley giggled before picking up the box of cereal from the table.

"Awww! Why'd you have to go and squish it with your big elbows?" she whined.

My eyes widened; my mouth dropped open. My entire body still trembled in pure terror.

Ashley's brows furrowed as she chewed, "Mattie? You can stop it now, you're kinda scaring me a little bit," she said slowly, as if I were some mentally impaired freak.

_Freak. That's what they called us. At the school._

Another thought. Another whisper. Faint, but still enough to scare me.

"Ashley," I sobbed, finally finding my voice.

Her mouth fell open. She dropped the box and rushed to my side. I could only watch the cardboard fall, marveling at the way the small, artificially sweetened flakes seemed to _erupt_ from their packaging.

"Madison?" Ashley roughly stated, gripping my shoulders.

That woke me up. For the first time, I stared deep into her eyes. In the blue swirls I saw fear and strong determination. That was Ashley though, always wanting everything to be alright, and doing whatever she could to keep it that way.

"Mattie? What is it?" she asked, her voice gentler now.

Her blue eyes still pierced my own, seeming to look into my very soul.

"_Something _is wrong…with me!" I gasped, small tears sliding down my flushed cheeks.

She simply drew me closer to her, never wanting to let go. I buried my face deep into her fluffy white robe, never wanting to let go either. My sobs shook the both of us; my wails sounding through the entire house.

I felt a familiar wetness on my hair. I looked I up in time to see Ashley, crying as well. Her eyes had a familiar bloodshot look and the redness of her nose.

It was all too similar. I began to sob again, cradling Ashley's small head in my hands, wanting to forget everything and everyone.

.

My breaths came out, steady and short. My t-shirt was now sprinkled delicately in my sweat. My shorts kept on riding up my butt, and I'd have to peek around before quickly untangling them again. It was a good thing Myrtle Park didn't have many visitors at this hour.

Ashley and I had not wept for much longer. A few pistons then fired in my brain and I wiped my tears (and my nose, for that matter) and cleaned Ashley up too.

She had left to go to a friend's house.

I winced at the memory of her puffy eyes; at the dark circles framing them. My jog picked up pace.

Why did everything have to be so difficult all of the time? Why did life always have to be so damn confusing!

I sprinted towards the path leading to the forest. Running distracted me easily, and this park was far from home.

_From worries._

I was now running as fast as I possibly could. The trees blurred next to me; the rocks beneath my feet became one. My breath stuttered, then became steady pants once more.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed from my side. I quickly stopped, stumbling over my own feet. I yanked my phone from its holder, trying to regain what little composure I had left.

"Hello?" I breathed.

"Mattie?"

My legs almost gave out right then and there. I quickly stumbled to an outcropping, plopping down upon with no struggle whatsoever.

"Michael," I whispered, shock coursing through my body.

"Ah! So you _do _remember me!" He laughed.

I could hear the sounds of the diner behind him. It was only a few minutes away.

I snapped to attention, "Michael," I repeated, but this time, my voice seethed of relief.

"Madison? Are you alright?"

I could hear the sounds of a chair scarping against the tile. Michael was going to come home already?

"Mattie? Just hold on! I'm coming home. Where ar-?"

"Michael," I shouted, probably startling him, "I'll come to you. Where are you?"

I held my breath, waiting for an answer. I didn't want him to see me like this. It would only make matters worse. I needed comfort and warmth right now, not pity.

He sighed. The sound was grainy, off-key, "I'm at _Jack's_,"

I smiled. I had won. "Okay. Stay there and eat something. I'm going to change real quick, then I'll be over."

He chuckled. "Mattie? Do I have to even ask what you've been doing?"

I smirked. His laughter was contagious, "No. I haven't been beating up on little kids. That's your job."

He laughed. The loud, booming sound brought me more comfort than Ashley could give. It sent warmth to my heart, making me feel like a bowl of goo.

"O-okay," I sighed, mentally kicking myself for stuttering like some idiot, "I'll see you soon?"

"Ok hon," he chuckled, "I love you."

"Bye," I responded cheekily, then hung up.

It was only when I was jogging back home, did I realize that I hadn't said the 'L' word back.

/

I quickly showered and dressed before skipping out to my blue _Prius. _I wore a simple blue v-neck t-shirt and light blue jeans. My converse hugged my feet comfortably.

I readily shoved the key in the ignition and sped out of the driveway. I was _beyond _eager.

I made quick work of the semi-slick roads beneath my tires. In a matter of minutes, I was parking next to Michael's _Dodge Ram_. The red coat glittered in the sun.

The door chimed as I walked in. Everyone turned to look as I blushed and made my way to the booth where Michael was sitting. His back was to me, and he appeared to be talking animatedly on the phone.

I wanted to surprise him. I wanted to wrap my shoulders and laugh with him as he jumped at my sudden appearance.

"Well you shouldn't have let him escape! What? No! I don't think he'll come _here! _The poor bastard doesn't even know where she lives!" he was shouting into the phone.

My eyebrows knit. Let _what _escape?

I ignored my rising suspicions and plopped down onto the seat in front of him. My sudden revealing left him slightly startled, but he quickly regained composure. He hung up on the person he'd been arguing with without another word.

"what escaped?" I asked, letting him know that I'd been listening.

He didn't even twitch a muscle, "My sister's horse. She thought he'd go to my mother's house because he was close to her,"

I nearly fainted in relief. In that seat, I relaxed for the first time today, "Ok. So, how was your trip?"

Michael was a medical researcher, and his particular field of expertise required him to travel the globe, picking up different specimens for his research. He'd recently gone spelunking in St. Louis.

His face lit up at the sudden change of conversation, "Great! We found exactly what we needed!"

I tuned him out just as I did with Ashley. I merely nodded and added a few vocal encouragements as he spoke.

I only concentrated at the warmth his voice supported. I Watched him plump lips as he spoke rapidly. How desperately I wanted to kiss those lips. I wanted to run my fingers through his thick, brown locks and forget the world around me.

"Mattie?"

Michael gripped my hand tightly and looked into my eyes. I smiled stupidly at the sight of his emerald green eyes. Did I mention he was beautiful?

Michael had been visiting a relative in St. Louis when Ashley's parent's car ran into the side of his aunt's house. He's the one who had saved Ashley's life.

He ended up living a few miles away from me. Strange huh? The most perfect man in all the world was only a few blocks away.

He'd brought a sobbing Ashley home to me. He'd also stayed with her a few months after, earning her love and trust.

Along the way he'd made me fall for him too.

I broke from the trance I'd fallen into. "Hmm?"

He smirked. My stomach fluttered wildly. "You wanna go home now?"

I quickly nodded, grateful at his ability to read me.

"Yeah. I want to go home to my family."


	18. New Jobs

I groaned slightly and cuddled closer to Michael. He felt warmer than usual, but quieted my shivers none-the-less. Deep, content sounds erupted form my throat.

"Max?"

My purring halted immediately. It was the voice, the one that had haunted my dreams for months now. I became a stiff board beneath his tight embrace.

"Max?" he tried again.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. There he was, handsome as ever. A slight, warm smile embraced his lips as he gazed down at me.

"Where are we?" I whispered, unable to get my voice to a higher volume.

His smirk grew, but still radiated the same warmth. "In your dreams. You created the surroundings, I am simply here."

I forced my neck to lift my head slightly and saw that we were in a large, bright bedroom. The walls were painted a light crème, and the bed which we were laying on was slightly lighter. To my left sat a window which took place of the entire wall. The sun was just beginning to set.

Immediately, I melted. This place _radiated _warmth. I snuggled deeper into the man's chest, not caring that this was wrong. That I loved Michael.

"What's your name?" I whispered after a few minutes of solitude.

It was too peaceful to talk loudly.

"Fang," he said softly, "Fang Ride."

"What are you doing here Fang?"

His eyebrows furrowed, "Making you remember,"

I snapped upright, breathing hard. Beside me, Michael stirred, but didn't wake.

_Making you remember._

Remember what? I racked my brain, but still couldn't find anything. Nothing that clued me in on the past events. No one named Fang lurking in the shadows of my subconscious.

I huffed and quickly slithered form the confines of my bed. Suddenly, the dark sheets and lack of sunlight splashing in my room was making my heart flutter uncomfortably.

I slumped into the bathroom, immediate turning on my stereo, allowing the sounds of Debussy to unclench my stomach. I quickly undressed and hopped into the shower, needing the warm water to wash away all my worries.

And as the water splashed upon my face, I calmed. On any normal occasion, I would think of Michael, and visibly relax. His twinkling eyes would set me at ease at one.

But those emerald eyes were not the ones staring at me today. The eyes that bore into mine were the deepest, darkest brown I had ever seen. The strange golden tints flashed in imaginary sunlight.

They pleaded with me, begging me to _remember._

Remember what?

"Morning," Michael breathed as I entered the kitchen.

The smells of breakfast were well under way. The sound of bacon sizzling made me smile.

The only thing bad about Michael was his secrecy. He didn't like to talk about his work or family too much, only giving me the barest of details.

"Morning," I responded half-heartedly.

I was in a hurry. Since I had taken so long at my shower, I only had a few moments to eat before I had to go to work. Even now, I shoved a piece of dry toast in my mouth while pulling on my shoes.

"In hurry?" Michael asked from behind me.

I rolled my eyes and continued jamming my small feet into my Pumas. After scarfing down the toast, I ran back to the bedroom and picked up my purse and keys from the small nightstand next to the door.

I sprinted back, gave Michael a quick kiss on the cheek, and was out the door in two seconds flat. I'd always been good at moving with speed and efficiency, so I managed to shave five minutes off the drive to work.

I quickly jammed my key into the front door and raced inside, my jean jacket falling from my narrow shoulders.

"You're late," Pricilla sneered, already in her uniform.

"Uh…yeah? So? Three minutes isn't a lifetime," I sneered back.

God, I hated this woman _so much_.

"You've been late before," she responded, not bothered by my previous comment.

I turned to glare at her, "Thank you Captain Obvious. Now, can I get ready?"

She looked up from her paper work at the desk and narrowed her eyes. "Don't try me girl. I can fire you in a heartbeat."

I scoffed, "Oh no! Fire me? What ever shall I do?"

She slowly rose, "Get out. I don't ever want to hear your smart ass comments ever again! _Get out!"_

Her face was red and blotchy with anger, and I bet mine was too.

"Good! I don't want to work for some pretentious, snobby, stuck-up bitch like you!"

I yanked my name tag off my shirt and threw it at her. It hit her on the forehead, and I smirked.

Then, just as suddenly as before, a sharp pang erupted in my head. My hand reached out to clutch it, but it only made it halfway before Pricilla's screams pierced my ears.

I looked up to see her, dangling from one of the bulbs on the ceiling. Her petrified face was a white as the light she was clinging so desperately to.

My mouth hung wide open as I watched her kick uselessly at the air beneath her.

"Help me!" she shrieked.

How could a woman so small make such noise?

Acting on instinct, I fled the room.

"W-where are you going?" she screamed.

I sprinted to the break room and hit the fire alarm before carrying out my next task. My head still pounded, and now the fire alarm rang in me ears, singing in tune with Pricilla.

I quickly found my treasure. A month ago, we'd held a little fundraiser for breast cancer. There'd been a large, inflatable raft that the kids had slid down the snowy hill with. Pricilla had kept it, still inflated, behind the boiler in the break room.

I enclosed my hands around the handles and yanked it from its confines. It gave easily, and soon I was sprinting back, yelling for Pricilla to hold on just a little longer.

I'd only gotten a strangled scream in response.

Soon, I was beneath her, spreading out the raft as quickly as possible. Adrenaline pumped through my veins I a flurry and sweat beaded on my forehead.

"Let go Pricilla," I yelled.

Her eyes remained squelched shut as she quickly shook her head back and forth. Her carefully pinned hair tangled and flopped uselessly on her shoulders. Mascara ran down her face in thick waves, dripping onto the raft every few seconds.

"It's your only chance! _Let go!" _I screamed, ignoring the flurry of pangs erupting in the hand once again.

Her hands seemed to let go on their own accord. She looked upon, pure terror on her face just as her fingers ungrasped the metal rod she'd clung to.

"Noooooo!" she shrieked as she fell.

In a mere second, she collapsed onto the raft, causing it to groan in protest of the sudden, new weight.

I lurched forward, my arms outstretched to help her, but she clawed them away, sobbing.

"Get out! Get out! GET OUT!" she yelled, rage coloring her features once more.

She didn't have to tell me twice. I turned on my heel and picked up my purse from its resting place on the floor. I quickly jogged out the library, never looking back.

And as I slowly drove home, the realization of the events hit me.

_I'd made her let go. I'd made her go up there._

Somehow, or someway, she flown up to the rafters, but not in her own will. And I'd been the only other person at the library.

Suddenly, it was making sense. The sharp pangs in my head. The cereal. The flurry of emotions occurring just moments before the event.

That meant?

Ok…maybe it didn't make all that much sense. But I had something to do with all that was going on. That much was certain.

I had some time to kill before I had to go home. My shift today had only been two hours, but I wanted to delay telling Michael for as long as I could.

Then, the sign caught my eye. **HELP WANTED.**

Maybe I wouldn't even have to tell Michael I was fired. I pulled into Midnight Wings and sighed.

I didn't like lying to Michael, but I didn't want to have to explain myself either. This was all just too weird to explain.

I yanked open the front door, jumping slightly at the ding of the bell. I was still high on adrenaline.

"Hello? How may I-" the woman in front of me abruptly halted her greeting.

She was tall and slender like me, but looked like an African queen. Her long, wild hair had been combed and neatly braided, leaving a caramel chunk of smooth hair to flop down on her eyes. Her smooth, mocha skin stretched beautifully over high cheekbones. Her large, brown eyes were framed by thick eyelashes and with blue eye shadow.

There was something off though. This beautiful woman was staring at _me _as I f a lived on another planet. Her shocked gaze made me want to squirm.

"Um…hi? I just, uh, wanted to, um, apply for a job here?"

I winced at how stupid I sounded.

She seemed slightly startled by my voice, and began to _cry. _I'm not kidding! I mean like real, weepy tears! She put her head in her hands and walked off, sobbing the whole way.

Completely freaked, I spun on my heel and reached for the door.

"Hello! How may I help you?" cheered a deep voice from behind me.

I slowly turned to look at a man with icy-blue eyes and strawberry-blond hair. He was lean and tall, just like Michael. Also, he was just as handsome as him.

"Um….I'd like to apply for a job, if you wouldn't mind?"

My voice came out easier without the woman staring at me as if I had a third eye.

His smile grew, "Sure! Do you want to work full-time or part-time?"

"Um…full time? Preferably day hours please?"

He nodded quickly before reaching behind me and pulling out a schedule, "Yeah, sure. You can fill out your hours on this right here. If you would like, you can start tomorrow!"

_Wow. That was easy._

"Oh. Ok." I responded, digging in my purse for a pen.

"Oh…by the way, my name's Jeff." He stuck out his hand with a quick smirk.

I smiled tentatively, "Madison. Madison Rise. But everyone calls me Mattie or Mads."

"Ok. Welcome to the team Mattie or Mads. See you at, "he looked over my shoulder at the paper, "3:00 tomorrow!"

I chuckled and handed him back the paper, "Ok. See you then!"

And as I walked back to my car, I couldn't help but notice how happy I'd felt talking to Jeff. It'd been comfortable after a few seconds.

And now, as I thought of Michael, I frowned. He hadn't given me that comfortable feeling….ever.

Even now, I felt a certain type of unease as I thought of his friendly, open face.

And my mind could only scream one word now.

DANGER.


	19. Awake

The drive home went by quickly. Sadly, I was only partly focusing on the road, because my mind kept trying to piece together all of the strange things going on lately.

When I pulled into the driveway, Michael was outside, sitting on the porch. His mouth was already open when I managed to yank my seatbelt off.

"You quit your job? Maddie…are you crazy?"

Mentally, I rolled my eyes. I loved Michael to death, but he had a tendency to overreact. "Yes, Michael, I quit my job. The hours were too long and boring, and the drive was just getting to be too much for minimum wage."

The area around his lips turned white, "You can't just quit your job just because you it isn't always going to adhere to your incessant needs!"

Previously, I'd been walking up the drive to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, but his harsh tone stopped me dead in my tracks.

"What's the big deal Michael? I've already got a job, and it's only about 20 minutes away from here."

He stood up now, his face still red with anger. I took note of his clench fists and his stiff muscles. "The point is that we all work very hard to live normal lives here, and you just can't go around screwing things up for everyone just when you get tired of it!"

My eyes widened. Until this point, I had never seen Michael act this way. In my mind, he was always a gentle, calm guy.

I guess I didn't know him as well as I think.

I took in the full force of his fury, and decided to play it safe. "You know what Michael? I think you're right. Why don't I just go ahead and go back to the library. I'm sure my boss will still be there. I'll just ask for my job back."

With a false smile, I turned my back to him and hopped in the car, careful not to look into his eyes. Once nestled into my seat, I looked up to find him standing just outside my car, his once tight green eyes smiling down at me.

"Alright. Go ahead and ask Pricilla, and be home soon, I've got a surprise for you," he said with a wink and a smirk.

I nodded quickly and backed away before he had another chance to say a word. Only halfway down the road did I realize something.

I had never, ever told Michael my boss's name. Ever.

I drove without much purpose. There was no way I was going back to the library, no matter how angry Michael was. He didn't control me.

After about 15 minutes, I found myself turning off the highway to a small building, with a bright neon sign saying _Midnight Wings_.

Well, I thought, if I am going to be working here, I might as well acquaint myself to my surroundings.

Walking up to the door, I realized I was still in my work clothes, which consisted of jeans and a t-shirt, and I might be a little underdressed for a bar. Turning around, I planned to walk my far-too-casual butt back to my car, when a voice called out to me.

"Max?"

"_Max?"_

My mind and my ears battled for control. Turning slowly, my eyes rested on a boy, maybe around 17, leaning against the brick building. He wore a dark shirt and blue jeans, and his blue eyes sparked with interest as he stared at me. His blond hair was cropped short, contrasting with his soft face.

"Umm…no. Sorry, my name's Madison, you must have me mistaken with someone else." I tried to remain polite, so as not to freak him out with my mind doing flip flops with the random deja-vu.

He continued to stare at me, hard, not responding. Just when the silence began to become too awkward, the door next to him opened, and a tall man walked outside, slightly out of breath.

'Madison! Hey, nice to see you girl!" he checked his watch, "Is it 3 already? Man does time fly by!"

I smiled, relieved that I saw a somewhat familiar face. "Hey Jeff! Yes, I do realize I may be about 10 hours early for my shift, but I figured I'd make myself comfortable so I wasn't so confused tomorrow."

He shot me a mega-watt smile, which I couldn't help to partially mirror. "Great! Come on inside. Garrett? You ok man?" he turned to the smaller boy, his hand on his shoulder.

Only then did he rip his gaze from my face. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just taking out the trash."

He pointed at a full trash bin that I had not noticed earlier.

Walking quickly, I shuffled past Garrett and walked past the open door that Jeff held for me.

Inside, the small bar held a great deal of life, which contrasted to the dark, quiet street just outside the walls. I walked slowly, trying not to bump into the many heated dancing figures among the dark lights and pulsing music. With a guiding hand, Jeff led me to the bar, which was also stuffed.

Struggling to be heard, Jeff shouted in my ear, "It usually isn't this crowded during the day, so you'll be ok. Want a drink?"

I nodded, pointing at an old Coke sticker stuck to the edge of the bar stool that I had just barely claimed. With a smile and a nod, he slipped past a couple in a heated embrace then ducked behind the bar.

Feeling terribly out of place, I turned around and watched the lights, which changed to colors every second or so. I realized that I would probably be out late enough to make Michael suspicious, but at that moment, I really needed to get away from him. Lately, he'd been acting so odd that I didn't know what to think around him.

"Here you go, one Coke, at your service," a deep voice shouted from behind me.

I turned, expecting to see Jeff, when I met eyes with a man with dark eyes and black hair. In his left hand, he held a drink. His other remained by his side, slightly hidden by the long-sleeved navy shirt he was wearing.

It was him. It was the man from my dreams. What was his name again?

He smiled slightly, and gently set the drink down on a coaster to my left, realizing I wasn't going to pick it up. As he set it down, his arm brushed my shoulder slightly, and the slight contact left me tingling.

What was his damn name?

"Hi. My name's Nick. I'm Jeff's older brother, and I help him run this old dump." He motioned around the bar as if it was some kind of dump.

I just sat there, staring, trying to remember. I didn't care that I looked like an illiterate idiot. I needed to remember.

He sat there for a few seconds long, his eyebrows dipped in concentration. I noticed that he had a scar just above his cheekbone, and when he dipped his eyebrows it puckered slightly.

"Well, do you want me to take you on a tour of the place or something?" he asked, obviously getting uncomfortable with my silence.

I just thought harder.

Jeff seemed to appear somewhere behind me, laughing to break the tension. 'Nonsense dude! Take her on the dance floor! She looks like she could use some fun!"

He continued to stare at me, never once breaking our intense gaze. "Would you like to dance with me?"

After half a second, I nodded. I needed to remember, and maybe toughing him, even slightly, would help.

He turned around and walked away, expecting me to follow. I hopped off the bar stool, leaving my lonely Coke, to join him in a slightly secluded corner, so that we weren't on top of the sweaty writhing bodies.

He took my hand and slowly began to sway to the fast music. My heart quickened at the slightest contact, a feeling that I thought I could only experience with Michael.

I just didn't know his name. It wasn't Nick, that much I was sure of. He had visited my dreams so often, trying so hard to get me to remember something. What was it?

The dreams resurfaced faster at the tough of his hands, both of mine rested firmly in his as I replayed all of the dreams. I needed more contact; something that I knew would kick start my brain.

I kissed him.

I honestly didn't mean to do it, it's just that my body just lunged forward and connected with his. As soon as our lips touched, a fire exploded in my gut.

He remained stiff for a second, than threw my hands away and roughly grabbed my hair, pulling me toward him. My arms encircled his waist unthinkingly, and I stood on my tip toes so we could be more level.

One of his hands came out of my hair and slid down my spine to my lower back, where he dug his fingers into the skin there, _hard._

I gasped into his mouth, as sudden images and memories assaulted my brain.

_Fang. Fang. Fang. Fang._

My brain sang it over and over, as if in triumph. The guy, Fang, took my gasp as a positive thing, and pulled me even closer and deepened the kiss.

I couldn't breath, and he was seriously kissing me with some super macho fever. I unhitched my hands from his waist and struggled to pull back, thankful when he abandoned my lips for my neck, I gasped as he bit and nipped at my neck, soothing his bites with his tongue and lips.

"Wait." I silently cursed myself at how gaspy I sounded. Seriously, I had never kissed Michael like this, but we had gotten intimate before. We hadn't done the deed yet, but it was still far more than just a simple kiss.

He pulled back, but not all the way, keeping our bodies still touching. His eyes were darker than they had been before, and he gasped along with me.

I stared at him and was overwhelmed with a feeling I had never felt before.

"I-I gotta go." I stuttered out, not waiting for a response as I wrestled myself from his grasp and stumbled through the crowd. I still felt drunk of the kiss, and the room began to spin slightly.

"Hey! Madison! Where you going girl? I didn't get to show you the back rooms yet!" Jeff shouted over the noise.

I didn't respond. Once I was free from the group, I took off running, only stopping when I reached my car. I was so shaky that I dropped my keys twice, and finally, I revved up the engine and peeled out of the parking lot.

My lips still tingled when I got back to the house. Michael and his truck were gone, thank God, so I didn't make an effort to hide my presence as I stumbled though the door and yanked off my shoes. Ashley was sitting on the couch, watching me.

"Well hey there Miss Madison. Gone out for a drink or two?"

I stood by the door, a shoe still in my hand, and stared at Ashley's innocent eyes.

_Angel._

"You remember when you kept talking about that love thing?"

Her eyes brightened and she shot up, her reality whatever show momentarily forgotten. "Oh my gosh! You love Michael! How cute!"

I stood there, knowing my face was as pale as paper. "Ashley, I don't love Michael."

Her excitement dimmed. "What are you talking about? Of course you do."

I shook my head. "Ashley. I'm not in love with him. And for that matter, your name isn't Ashley."

Her eyebrows dropped as she slowly stood. "Madison. It's ok, really, I understand that you've been under a lot of stress lately. Why don't you go ahead and get to bed. I've got the dishes and stuff."

I walked over to her, gripping her arms. "No, honey, it's not ok. I remember now. You need to remember. Please! Do it for me!" I slid my hands up to her face, grabbing both sides. "Pleases remember!"

Fear bloomed within her eyes. "What? What are you talking abo-"

Realization dawned on her. She was reading my thoughts at a rapid pace. It was easier for her to resurface because of her mind reading abilities.

"Oh my God Max! What do we do?"

I straightened and spoke in my best commanding voice, "We pretend like we don't know. At least for a little while, so that Michael doesn't become suspicious. We slowly see the flock more and more and then we'll leave and get the hell away from here."

She nodded at rapid speed. "So what do we do now?"

I forced a smile. I'm pretty sure it looked grisly. "We go to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."


End file.
